Kolkata, Sep 14 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday expressed hope that the blessings of Lord Ganesha would usher in a resurgence of investment, industrial growth and employment in the state.
The ruling BJP’s state president Samik Bhattacharya also pitched for capital-intensive heavy industries to power the state’s MSME sector.
Speaking at a Ganesh Puja gathering at Behala in the city, Adhikari said West Bengal needs fresh investments and industrial expansion to create employment opportunities, and hoped that the festival would mark the beginning of a new phase of economic growth.
Bhattacharya stressed the need for capital-intensive heavy industries in West Bengal to promote ancillary units and create an ecosystem for the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that can create a large number of employment.
Addressing a Ganesh Puja gathering at Dum Dum, he also cautioned against relying solely on modern high-tech sectors such as artificial intelligence and data centres for large-scale employment generation.
“Semiconductor industries and data centres will not be able to generate employment in massive volumes,” Bhattacharya said, asserting that large manufacturing units were essential to create an ecosystem in which MSMEs could flourish.
He emphasised the need to revive West Bengal’s traditional industries alongside capital-intensive manufacturing.
“We have to revive West Bengal’s handloom industry. We must restore the lost glory of West Bengal’s famous muslin and khadi,” Bhattacharya said.
Lamenting the migration of local labour, the BJP leader said Bengal was once an economic hub that attracted workers from other states, but people from agricultural regions such as Purba Bardhaman were now being forced to work as migrant labourers in states like Gujarat.
He highlighted West Bengal’s natural advantages, including its coastline, rivers, international borders, surplus power and skilled manpower. PTI BSM NN
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