Mamata Banerjee announces slew of new policies, sub-sea cable landing station

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced a slew of new policies including plans to double the states exports modernise its logistics and promote renewable energy manufacturing while opening the Bengal Global Business Summit reported news agency PTIMamata Banerjee also announced a policy to promote biofuels and a new subsea cable landing station at the searesort of Digha to help improve internet connectivity in the eastern region reported PTIThe chief minister also said the states economy was growing at 841 per cent and its GDP would touch USD 212 billion this fiscal West Bengal was ranked sixth in terms of GDP among Indian states in a recent report by Forbes India reported PTIShe also told a starstudded gathering of business leaders including petrochemicals to retail tycoon Mukesh Ambani energy baron Sanjeev Goenka and Wipros Rishad Premji that four new industrial corridors would be set up including DankuniKalyani Tajpur portRaghunathpur DankuniJhargram and Durgapur to Cooch Behar in north Bengal reported PTIDankuni eastern Indias largest logistics hub already boasts of 9 km of conveyor belts to carry goods to and from storage silos added her former finance minister and principal chief advisor Amit Mitra reported PTIThe Bengal Global Business Summit an annual affair is being attended by several hundred companies from some 17 countries including UK US Australia Korea Japan Germany and France reported PTIHighlighting the fact that the state was home to some 90 lakh MSME units employing 13 crore people Banerjee pointed out that it also housed a large leather manufacturing complex which was being expanded to be the Asian continents biggest besides boasting of one of the largest IT hubs in the country reported PTIBanerjee said that the states Durga Puja festival economy grossed over Rs 80000 crore this year reported PTIShe also announced former India cricket skipperturnedbusinessman Sourav Ganguly would be a brand ambassador for the state reported PTIReliance Industries chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani while speaking on the occasion announced an additional Rs 20000 crore investment for West Bengal over the next three years reported PTIAmbani said the fresh investment will be in the areas of digital life solutions retail and bioenergy reported PTIWe plan to invest an additional Rs 20000 crore in West Bengal in the next three years for enhancing digital life solutions augmenting Reliance Retail footprint and on bioenergy he saidThe Reliance Industries has invested close to Rs 45000 crore in the last few years in the state Ambani said reported PTIReliance will leave no stone unturned to accelerate Bengals growth he assertedThe Reliance Foundation will also take up the task of renovating and restoring the iconic Kalighat Temple in Kolkata to regain its original glory Ambani added reported PTIWipro Chairman Rishad Premji added West Bengal provides the right policy environment for expansion of IT industries reported PTIRPGs Sanjeev Goenka told the gathering that his firm has invested Rs 25000 crore in the state over the last few years as decision making has been quick and efficient and that the era of go slows strikes and unrest are of the past the CM wants business reported PTIThe chief minister also claimed that her state was a model of tranquillity and good governance though she also accused the opposition of running a campaign to smear the states image reported PTIWith inputs from PTI