West Bengal has received industrial investment proposals worth ₹1.2 lakh crore, said Governor M K Narayanan while inaugurating the State Assembly’s budget session on Monday.

The Governor said the total industrial investment “implemented and proposed for the State in all sectors was over ₹1.40 lakh crore. These proposed projects have the potential to generate 3.5 lakh jobs, he added.

The State government has cleared over 17,300 acres of land for industrial projects since coming to office in 2011, he said.

“I am delighted that there has been no loss of man-days due to strikes in the organised industry in the past year against over 90 lakh man-days lost in the calendar year 2010,” he said.

Narayanan said the West Bengal Right to Public Services Act was passed last year to improve work ethics and time-bound delivery. Under the State Assisted Provident Fund for unorganised sector workers, some 7.5 lakh workers have been issued smart cards, which would entitle them to financial aid in case of accidental death, medical treatment and education.

The government, he said would introduce reservation of seats in the State-funded higher education institutions for OBC students from the next academic session without affecting students from other sections.

In the first half of the current fiscal, the State has recorded a growth of 105 per cent in credit disbursement by banks to the micro, small and medium enterprises.

The Governor pointed out that during 2014-15, the State would add 1250 MW power. It is developing new airports at Durgapur, Coochbehar, Malda and has proposed to new airports at Digha, Sundbans, Sagar Islands and Santiniketan.

The government has also initiated 16,000-km village road projects. It has also taken up 34 new multi-super speciality hospital projects.

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