'Serial bandhs a threat to WB eco-environment'

Kolkata, Dec 19: Criticising the political parties for callingseries of strikes in the state, the Bengal industry today said theseresult in disruption of normal functioning of the companies, affectingthe economic environment of the state.

After four consecutive bandhs on December 1, 5, 13 and 14, thenext would be on December 21 and 22 by the Trinamool Congress over thediscovery of body of a teenage girl in turbulent Singur-- site of theproposed Tata Motors small car venture.

CII National Chairman-SME forum Ravi Poddar told UNI today,''Industry feels demoralised as things are not moving in the rightdirections. Bandh is not an alternative and a party has no right toexpress their resentment against the Centre or the state governmentthrough bandhs. I hope good sense will prevail and these politicalparties, which are calling bandhs every now and then, should allowpeople to work.'' Cross sections of industry showed resentment againstthe 48-hour bandh called by the Opposition on Thursday and Friday.Birla group of companies Chairman B K Birla said, ''Strikes andlockouts does not help anyone in the long run. It will have an impacton the state's economy.'' RPG vice-chairman Sanjiv Goenka reiteratedBirla's discontent.

''Anything that disrupts normal life and activity should not beencouraged. Bandh cannot be a means of protest.'' Patton ChairmanSanjay Buddhia said, ''After several years of hard work of team Buddha,when investments started flowing into our state, we are again back tosquare one.'' ''This bandh will have dire consequences. There had beenapprehensions among the investors outside Bengal. We have worked hardto remove that. Now how do we correct the image again, is a milliondollar question,'' he said.

''There is a chain reaction due to the stoppage of normal flow oflife. The business comes to standstill and the supply chain andlogistics are broken. If we miss a single consignment, our exportclients will not listen to us,'' Engineering Export Promotion CouncilChairman(ER) R P Sehgal said.

HRAEI (Hotel&Restaurant Association of Eastern India)President S K Khullar said, ''There have already so many bandhs in arow. For one, the hotel and restaurant industry suffers great losses,anything between Rs 30-40 crore for a total bandh. Even for the partialones, sales are only half of a regular day's. What's more, it's notjust restaurants which suffer, but also the little streetside stalls,which are deprived of a day's earnings.''

PWC spokesperson questioned,''Why should there be bandhs without any major reason? Though IT iskept outside the purview of the bandh, everything get disrupted. Thesalaried class, indutry all lose mandays but think about the daily wageearners and labourers! Who will support them?'' Cognizant TechnologiesCEO(ER) Siddhartha Mukerjee he said, ''We are concerned about theinternational clients. They are not bothered about a bandh in Bengal.They want seamless flow of work and we need to meet the deadline.''

UNI