KOLKATA: The TMC Government was further embarrassed on Tuesday with Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Manjula Chellur raising doubts about whether any industrialist would invest in West Bengal due to lack of proper environment and infrastructure.
A Division Bench of Justice Chellur and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing the case of chit fund scam-tainted MPS Greenery, whose chairman Pramatha Nath Manna was arrested in September last.
When counsel for MPS Greenery Joydeep Kar approached the Bench requesting permission to sell its assets worth `2,900 crore to return funds of depositors, Justice Chellur said, “Who will invest in this state as there is no environment for it? To seek investments, proper industrial climate and infrastructure are required and none of them exists here... As far as I know, no one from my home state of Karnataka or Kerala will come and invest in Bengal.”
Heaping praises on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Justice Chellur observed, “On Sunday, I was in Telangana. They have a brilliant process to attract investments. Any prospective investor who approaches the state is directly dealt by the CM himself. He is escorted to the CM’s office and everything explained in detail. If the investor agrees, then an appeal is made and all necessary arrangements are made within 21 days.”
Commenting on the state of affairs in Bengal, she remarked, “I hope one day the situation will change and everything will be fine.” Justice Chellur had last week taken on HC lawyers affiliated to the TMC for demanding a cease work, complaining about heat conditions. “Why do you always ask for leave like schoolchildren? Are nurses and doctors not working in this heat? Are their work places centrally air-conditioned? This is irritating and hurtful. Who should be held responsible for the sufferings of litigants,” she had asked, trying to enforce a proper work culture by citing the SC’s directive that courts should function at least for 210 days a year.
Justice Chellur’s observation created ripples in the industrial circles as the TMC Government’s policy of not acquiring farm lands for industry has never gone down well with the captains of industry. Though a global summit -- ‘Come to Bengal, Ride the Growth’ -- was held in January with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking investments, no investor came to the state.
Industrialist have also complained of extortions by TMC workers and militant trade unionism by the INTTUC, the TMC’s trade union wing.
