Kolkata, Nov 5: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday warned of stringent action against extortion and attempts to disrupt industrial operations through militant trade unionism, asserting that such activities would not be tolerated under the new industrial policy.
Addressing an event following the unveiling of the state’s new industrial policy, Adhikari urged investors to report extortion attempts through a dedicated helpline and assured them of prompt action.
“There is a dedicated helpline number for registering complaints on extortion. I am requesting the investors to register their complaints on that helpline number. I assure that action will be taken within 15 minutes from the time the complaint is registered and the perpetrators will be dealt with strictly as per legal provisions,” he said.
The chief minister also warned against attempts to force industrial establishments to suspend operations through unnecessary cease-work programmes.
“I will not allow any attempt at unnecessary cease-work at any industrial unit. Those who will try to do so will be put in jail,” he said.
Adhikari said industrial management-related grievances should be addressed through established mechanisms, including approaching the labour commission, rather than disrupting production.
He also criticised the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government over the organisation of the annual Bengal Global Business Summit, alleging that substantial public funds were spent without corresponding investment outcomes.
“Over Rs 650 crore was spent in organising eight such summits. The previous government claimed that memoranda of understanding worth Rs 16 lakh crore were signed in these eight summits. But ultimately nothing fructified,” he claimed.
He alleged that the previous government had included infrastructure development projects in the proposed investment figures, creating an inflated picture of investment commitments.
The chief minister also accused the previous regime of neglecting the generation of the state’s own tax revenue and allowing corruption to affect the state exchequer.
Claiming an improvement in revenue collection under the present government, Adhikari said the state’s revenue had increased by around Rs 4,000 crore compared with the corresponding period of the previous financial year.
He said the government’s priority was to increase its own tax revenue by curbing money laundering and extortion and creating a conducive environment for industrial investment.
Adhikari said the government would focus on strengthening revenue mobilisation and restoring investor confidence to promote industrial growth in the state.
