The Hindu Business Line : CII unveils roadmap for industrial growth in North Bengal

THE Confederation of Indian Industry (eastern region) has unveiled a roadmap for industrial growth in North Bengal in general and the three districts of Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Cooch Behar in particular.

The roadmap, which was formally released by Mr Nirupam Sen, West Bengal's Minister for Commerce and Industries, at a function held here on Monday, is based on a study undertaken by the Economic Research Cell of CII (ER).

According to the findings of the study, West Bengal is the third largest economy in the country and grew at an average rate of seven per cent per annum between 1994 and 2004. The key sectors of strength for the State's economy include petrochemicals, steel, food processing, information technology and real estate and housing. With about eight per cent of the country's population, West Bengal is also among the largest potential consumer markets in the country.

North Bengal comprises the six districts of Malda, South Dinajpur, North Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, Murshidabad and Darjeeling. Despite its immense potential for growth and development, these districts have lagged behind in industrial development compared to their counterparts in South Bengal. In fact, economic development in West Bengal has mostly been confined to in and around Kolkata and a few districts in South Bengal. The study sought to identify the constraints to industrial and socio-economic growth in the districts of Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Darjeeling in particular and has offered suggestions that could be instrumental in addressing these bottlenecks and constraints.

The study identifies advantages and possibilities in different sectors of industry, such as agro and food processing, tea, forest-based produce, tourism, animal husbandry, handicrafts and IT & ITES.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sen stressed upon the need to focus on infrastructure development in North Bengal. He said the State Government had commissioned a study to determine the potential for industrial growth in districts across the State and that appropriate policy initiatives would be taken up to help harness the full potential in this regard.

In his address, Mr Dipankar Chatterjee, Former Chairman of CII (ER), said that if the `Look East' policy of the Government of India was to succeed, then North Bengal could not be bypassed or overlooked. North Bengal, he said, could be a gateway for goods and services to not only North East India but also to Bihar, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

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