Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said at Panagarh Industrial Park today that her policy’s key thrust will be industries, in a riposte to her critics who have accused her of failing to bring investment and generate jobs.

“Already I have formed an Empowerment Group for industry headed by me with secretaries of various departments and ministers. The group will sit every month at Nabanna and review the investment proposals and progress in the state,” announced Miss Banerjee.

She added that soon the government will announce Ethanol Production Policy for manufacturing eco-friendly Bio Fuel. In rural areas, plants will be set up and the main raw material will be broken rice.

Data Centre Industrial Policy will also be announced soon. The IT companies can set up data centres with neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Bengal can become a data and storage hub of the east, she said, adding that 24,000 jobs will be created.

In the first phase for the Her, Deocha Pachami project in Birbhum’s Mohammad Bazar Rs15,000 crores will be invested and the land is already available with the government, she said, adding that in the second phase, the government will provide jobs, houses, markets, roads, schools, hospitals, parks and water for the land losers.

She claimed that the biggest project will be the Jungle Sundari Project in Raghunathpur of Purulia for which Rs 72,000 crore will be invested. The land is already available with WBIDC and DPR has already been prepared, she said, explaining that it will connect the Dankuni-Panagarh Barjora-Raghunathpur- Amritsar Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor of Railways. Already in Panagarh Industrial Park of Burdwan West, about Rs8500 crores have been invested by units like Matix Fertiliser and Emami Cement.

“From February 2022 we hope to restart the Bengal Global Business Summit, which has was suspended due to pandemic and from the five BGBS held so far about Rs13 lakh crores investment proposals have been received. We also hope to tour foreign countries from next year for FDI,” the CM said.

Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport in Andal will be developed into an international airport in two years and Rs150 crores will be invested by the government. Regional connectivity will further increase from Cooch Behar, Malda and Balurghat.

The CM also said that Mayapur–Nabadweep and Cooch Behar will be developed as Heritage towns and 700 acres of the land has been provided to ISKCON at Mayapur and Ford Foundation will be developing the project. Besides Ashok Nagar another oil field in the state is being explored, she said.

“After huge successes in social initiatives like Kanyashree, Rupashree, Swashtya Sathi, students’ credit card, Swami Vivekananda Scholarship, now my target is to make Bengal the biggest investment hub in India. Despite pandemic, we have been able to reduce poverty by around 40 per cent further,” she said.

In her first meeting with the industrialist after becoming CM third time, eminent industrialists like Harsh Neotia, YK Modi, Utsabh Modi, CK Dhanuka were present.

Due to the tremendous rush for Lakshmi Bhandar schemes by the women from tomorrow the banks will remain open till 5 PM instead of at present 3 PM, the CM said