Kolkata, Jul 30 (PTI) The West Bengal government on Thursday held a high-level meeting with industry leaders to chart a roadmap for growth in the northern districts, with a special focus on strengthening the tea sector through global branding, promoting tea tourism and attracting fresh investments to the region, a senior official said.
The meeting, held at state secretariat Nabanna, was attended by Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta, Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh and around 40 industrialists. They discussed long-term strategies to position north Bengal as a globally recognised tea destination while expanding investment in other sectors, he said.
The government is also exploring ways to help industries in north Bengal leverage various central government schemes and policy incentives to improve the region’s industrial ecosystem.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Ghosh said the objective was to create a competitive investment climate.
“Our goal is to create an ecosystem that encourages investment through financial incentives, policy support and ease of doing business. We want the region to attract industries,” Ghosh said.
He said industrialists suggested a series of measures, including region-specific incentives, a dedicated GST support mechanism, greater policy focus on MSMEs and decentralisation of licensing by allowing district-level clearances instead of requiring approvals from Kolkata.
Ghosh said the government also discussed developing a distinct global identity for north Bengal tea.
“Countries like France have successfully branded wines from different regions. We need to create similar branding for our teas. Darjeeling and Dooars teas have distinct characteristics, and we want to promote both.
“Alongside strengthening the tea industry, we will also develop tea tourism so that workers benefit from increased economic activity. A long-term policy and a comprehensive action plan for the sector will be prepared,” he said.
The meeting also discussed proposals for setting up several large hotels in north Bengal to boost tourism and hospitality infrastructure, another bureaucrat said.
The senior state government official said the discussions were aimed at preparing a comprehensive development strategy for north Bengal by integrating industrial growth, tourism and agriculture-based industries.
“The government is working towards creating an enabling environment for investment in north Bengal by addressing policy issues raised by industry. Efforts are also being made to ensure that entrepreneurs can avail of benefits under various central government schemes,” the official said.
The state government has already announced a reduction in the freehold land requirement from 30 per cent to 15 per cent for eligible projects, a move expected to make investment proposals more attractive.
Officials said the suggestions received from industry representatives would be examined before finalising a long-term policy framework for accelerating industrial development in north Bengal. PTI SCH ACD
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.