The Union Budget proposed setting up an agri-biotech cluster in Kolkata.
The Centre has already set up an agri-biotech cluster at Mohali through the private-public-partnership (PPP) model. The model will now be extended to Pune and Kolkata.
West Bengal also features in the Centre’s plan to build seven industrial smart cities along the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor.
“The Amritsar-Kolkata industrial master planning will be completed expeditiously,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. The project aims to set up industrial smart cities in seven States.
In his speech, Jaitley confirmed setting up a State branch of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) as envisaged by the former Manmohan Singh Government.
The city-based Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) has also been accorded the status of “Institute of National Importance”. According to Sanjaya Pattanayak, director of SRFTI, the elevated status will help the institute to open new avenues for education in cinema and television.
Veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee also lauded the decision.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, accused the Centre of “ignoring Bengal”.
The State, she said in a Facebook post, did not find mention amongst the six textile clusters announced, even though it has tremendous potential in the sector. Similarly, despite being amongst the largest fruits and vegetable producers, Bengal does not feature amongst the probable States where horticulture universities have been proposed.