People's Democracy

(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Vol. XXVII

No. 06

 February 09, 2003


 

Industrial Development Progresses Apace

BETWEEN January and December of 2002, a total of Rs 2,231.93 crore worth of 103 industrial schemes have been put in place in Bengal in the medium and heavy industrial sectors.  Over and above this, projects have taken off in the small sector, the roads sector, and the communications sector as well. 

Also, a private firm has undertaken the laying of fibre-optic cables in the state in a project where an additional investment of Rs 1500 crore has been made.  As the current financial year is on its way to be wound up, ten more projects in the iron and steel industry have been provided with the state government’s approval.  The cumulative investment figure for these additional projects stands at Rs 1,036 crore.

Industries minister of the Bengal Left Front government, Nirupam Sen gave the breakdown of the sector-wise investment figures in the major industries. 

Sector

Units

Rs crore

Chemicals

6

921.39

Cement

6

166.19

Iron and steel

16

202.97

Agro-based & food processing

27

178.98

Engineering

8

126.16

Textiles

9

93.16

Information-technology

8

34.17

Plastic

5

24.48

Hotels, hospitals, service

4

468.98

Soap & detergent

1

5.83

Other

5

10

 Sen said that over the past year large number of high-power trade delegations, Indian and foreign, have visited Bengal. A number of foreign diplomats, too, have come to the state looking for investment opportunities.  Sen was confident that the high rate of growth of the Bengal economy was chiefly due to industrial production reaching a record level.