MCC announces five areas to promote more investment

Kolkata, Mar 30 (UNI) Encouraged by the pro-active role of the state government for the promotion of industry in West Bengal, the city- based Merchants' Chamber of Commerce has decided to give a major thrust in five selected areas of investment.

Speaking to the media here today to elaborate the thrust areas, the newly elected MCC President for 2006-07 Santosh Saraf, also a well-known industrialist, said, besides, promoting healthcare facilities, general education and vocational training under time bound programmes, they had decided to put special emphasis on the promotion of SSI sector for employment generation, development of infrastructural sectors and the abolition of the state urban ceiling act with immediate effect.

Regarding the Chamber's plan to further improve the healthcare faclilities in the state, particularly for the poor and the downtrodden, Mr Saraf informed that they were planning to take the best and the cheapest medicare at the village level by setting up a number of health centres under private or joint partnership in different districts within the next one or two years.

The response of the state government was very encouraging in terms of allocation of land and provision of other infrastructural facilities to the concerned members, the new MCC chief informed.

About his plan for construction of roads, parks and new tourist spots, besides, developing the old ones, Mr Saraf said they had already submitted a number of concrete proposals to these effects to the government and the members had invested about Rs five crore so far.

Mr Saraf also elaborated his plan for improving the educational infrastructures of the state besides introducing some vocational courses and their training centres in different parts of the state at the district level. A number of concrete proposals had already been submitted to the state authorities for these purposes too, he said.

The new MCC president, however, ruled out any apprehension among the media as well as the general public about the chances of MCC members of not being able to keep their commitment in the wake of mounting difficulties.

''We are fully committed to our promises and would leave no stone unturned to make West Bengal an industry friendly, well educated and well-connected state to fulfill the dream of Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee,'' Mr Saraf said replying to a query.

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