The Hindu Business Line : Bengal chalking out new health policy

SPEAKING on the industrial resurgence taking place now in West Bengal at the opening session of the 150th annual general meeting of The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) here on Tuesday, the Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, said his Government is chalking out a new health policy, for catering to the health needs of 70 per cent of the State's population.

Seeking private sector participation in the massive `Health City' project, coming up between Garia and Sonarpur in the southern suburbs, he said the plan is to set up a very big hospital in the area.

Pointing out the urgent need to improve healthcare services in the State in a big way, he sought corporate help in the revenue-raising effort for the project. While Apollo Hospitals is now planning its second unit in the State, the heart clinic of Dr Devi Shetty is also in for a major upgradation, he announced.

Outlining the progress made so far in the IT sector in the State, Mr Bhattacharjee said some 24,000 IT professionals are now working in Bengal, and "we will need some 58,000 more soon, for which we need to sensitise our engineering colleges and universities".

Touching on the problems of the jute and tea sectors, the Chief Minister said the Union Commerce Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, is soon expected to announce a major package for revival of the tea plantations in West Bengal and Assam.

Stressing on the need to increase productivity of the tea gardens, he lamented that planters are not spending enough money on modernisation of the gardens. In the context of jute, he urged the sector to move away from the traditional bags and diversify into more value-added products.

On the tourism front, he said talks are now on with the India Tourism Development Corporation for assistance towards two major projects in the Dooars and the Terai regions (North Bengal) for attracting international tourists. The Government of India has assured funds for these two projects. The regions are rich in both flora and fauna. He said he is also looking for a good investor for the Sunderbans tourism project.

Admitting that the work culture in Bengal needs to be improved in a big way, if investments have to flow in, Mr Bhattacharjee said efforts are on to impress upon the TUs the need for increase in productivity. He announced, much to the delight of the industry captains who had assembled in large numbers, that gheraos or any other form of militant trade unionism would not be allowed.

Describing BCCI as an organisation "re-invented" at the end of 2004, Mr Biswadip Gupta, President, said, "Our four area-specific initiatives, concerning the development of Taratolla in Kolkata, North Bengal, Haldia and Durgapur are as much people and society-oriented as they are towards industrial growth.''

He said the Chamber is now looking forward to developing the Taratolla areas as a manufacturing hub, which may develop into a model industrial cluster.