Not industries, syndicates thrived in Bengal under TMC: Supriyo

Union minister Babul Supriyo onMonday alleged that the Trinamool Congress government failedto set up any big industry in West Bengal while syndicates andcut money culture have thrived in the state.

In West Bengal, syndicate refers to a group ofbusinessmen, apparently backed by the ruling party, whoallegedly force promoters and contractors to buy constructionmaterials, often of inferior quality, at high prices.

Speaking at a seminar on rejuvenating West Bengaleconomically, Supriyo said the flight of industries fromBengal had started from the 1980s when Jyoti Basu was at thehelm and the situation was further aggravated when MamataBanerjee-led TMC came to power.

“The TMC introduced the custom of cut money andsyndicates. All sorts of illegal activities- from smuggling ofcoal to cattle- took place during its tenure,” the minister ofstate for environment, forest and climate change claimed.

“Show me a picture of Mamata Banerjee setting up a bigindustry, a picture of her launching a big business investmentin West Bengal,” the Asansol MP said adding that there wouldbe none.

He asserted Banerjees “ridiculous land acquisitionlaws” which ask investors to purchase land directly fromowners are hurting investments in West Bengal.

Supriyos comments were preceded by the statement ofBJP vice-president Mukul Roy at a recent rally in Singur thatit was a blunder to “drive away the Tatas from the acquiredland.” Roy, who was on the side of Trinamool Congress supremoMamata Banerjee during the time of anti-farm land acquisitionmovement, publicly conceded it was a mistake so far as theSingur movement is concerned.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta said at the seminarthat even if a road map is prepared for Bengals economicrejuvenation, it will not materialise under the presentregime.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)