By IANS,
Kolkata : In a bid to shed her anti-industry image ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections two years from now, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee met industry captains Friday and invited them to partner the railways in commercial ventures.
Singur, Nandigram seemed passe, as leading industrialists of the state vied with one another in showering praises on the railways minister for initiating various development activities after taking over the crucial portfolio.
From RPG Entreprises vice-chairman Sanjiv Goenka to Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) eastern region president C.K. Dhanuka, almost the entire who’s who of West Bengal’s industry were present during the over two-hour candid open session with Banerjee.
The meeting signalled virtually a complete change of script a year after Banerjee had started a sit-in before the Nano plant in Singur against forcible acquisition of farmland for the project.
Banerjee on her part seemed in great spirits as she extended an open invitation to industrial honchos to join the railways in public-private partnership projects and later took questions and suggestions from individual entrepreneurs during the over two-hour interaction.
“It’s a very proud moment for me. A very historical moment also. I am honoured to meet all of you,” Banerjee said in her opening remarks.
“I know what you want. I see all the smiling faces. For development, industry must smile also. We want enrichment of human capital. We want service with a smile, a human face. Human capital is flowing. We have to utilise it to set up big industrial hubs,” said the Trinamool Congress chief, who laid stress on small-scale, agro-based, medium and big industries.
“We want to see you submit your intent to partner Indian Railways in this important session,” the minister repeatedly said, while announcing she would meet the industrialists every three months.
Banerjee’s metamorphosis from a rabble-rouser to a pro-development politician was one of the issues she was queried on.
“How did this transition occur from the Mamata Banerjee whom we had seen gheraoing places and conducting aggressive movement to one with a smiling face and so much emotion and a touching attitude?” asked Patton MD and past president of Indian Chamber of Commerce Sanjay Budhia.
“I was always smiling. Your eyes were not open,” Banerjee replied.
Banerjee said the railways have already identified a land bank of 11,200 acres for commercial utilisation. “I am impatient. I cannot wait. Let us start work immediately.”
Replying to one of the queries, she spellt out her priorities if her party came to power in the state: “There is no land use map. We will do it immediately. There must be a landmap.”
“There will be no political pollution or collusion. We want industry. I can assure you won’t be deprived.”
The minister ruled out any forcible acquisition of land, and said if such a problem emerged, she would go for another option.
Referring to the Singur episode where Tata Motors had to abort its plan to set up the Nano plant, she said the aggressive attitude in some quarters led to the disaster.
On the railways’ philosophy under her leadership, Banerjee said: “Our first eye comprising the railway board is for running the railway operations. The second eye is for commercial utilisation of railway land. The third eye is for balancing”.