By Aparajita Gupta, IANS,
Kolkata: As yet another strike Tuesday paralysed life in West Bengal, industry bigwigs and economists said such agitations only affected the economy of the state adversely without solving important issues like price rise.
According to an estimate by the Indian Chamber of Commerce, the total loss due to a 12-hour total strike or shutdown in West Bengal is approximately Rs.496 crore (about $100 million) of the state domestic product (SDP) — the total value of goods and services produced in a financial year within a state.
“From this calculation it is confirmed that around 61-62 percent of daily production is lost due to a 12-hour bandh or total strike in West Bengal,” Jayanta Roy, the chamber’s senior vice president, told IANS.
The strike called by 13 political parties, including the ruling Left Front, saw shops, offices and business establishments closed, and road, rail and flight services halted.
Roy said apart from the loss in SDP, such agitations led to loss of income, employment and investment. Daily wage earners are the worst sufferers.
“Annually the percentage loss per bandh to gross and net SDP stands at 0.21 percent and 0.2 percent respectively,” he said.
Roy said such agitations also created an adverse perception about West Bengal among investors, damaged the industrial climate, and triggered socio-political unrest.
“Measurements of these losses are not feasible, but their effect is enormous and can easily be perceived,” he added.
Economist Dipankar Dasgupta said he supported the main issue – price rise – against which the strike had been called. “Spiralling prices of essential commodities is hurting the common man and the poor people of the society.”
But, “how will a strike help someone to contain inflation?”, he asked.
“Something should be done to contain the food inflation but strike is simply not the solution. It only shows the muscle power of certain political parties,” he said.
(Aparajita can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected])