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Averse to risks affecting business environment in WB: Sircar

West Bengal has been robbed of its glory and unfairly neglected when it comes to the deliberate allocation of resources by the central government.

Averse to risks affecting business environment in WB: Sircar

The Trinamul Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jawahar Sircar, said internal conflicts and lack of appetite for risk among the people of West Bengal are leading to an unfavourable business environment.

In a seminar titled Whither India: Economically, Socially and Politically, organised by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, Mr Sircar, a retired IAS officer, said that West Bengal has been robbed of its glory and unfairly neglected when it comes to the deliberate allocation of resources by the central government.

He added that internal conflicts and the lack of risk appetite among the people of Bengal have added to the unfavourable business environment. He highlighted that the state government has focused on investment in core sectors like coal, jute, tea, steel etc. However, the services sectors have not received the required impetus. “We need venture capitalists to spur investments in the state,” he opined.

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In the context of the growth of West Bengal, he further stated, “Being enterprising is no longer considered below intellect in West Bengal. The attitude of the youth towards work has transformed with an aspiration towards growth and we find ‘consumerism’ prevalent in every sphere of the society. West Bengal, having the 5th largest GDP, is the shining lamp of eastern India. I am optimistic towards the future growth and development of this state.”

Further, the MP observed that India has ranked 131 in the human development index, 101 in the global hunger index. He stated that there is an urgent need to relook the Indian policies.

Supporting India’s ban on wheat exports in a bid to check high prices on account of a shortage of wheat, he explained that we need to maintain an opening balance of 120 million tonnes of wheat in order to be prepared for any unforeseen calamity like the pandemic. We are likely to feel the domino effect of the global food crisis due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, taking timely measures can insulate us from the impact to a great extent.”

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