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The path and solution for the state is massive "Stalin era" INDUSTRIALIZATION of light, and heavy industry (USSR 1928--1941)......ranging from small scale, to medium, to large scale enterprises. This is the ONLY sure way to guarantee jobs and income for the future generations. Agricultural land is finite in the state, and its potential for generating sufficient income and jobs is limited....if agriculture is truly modernized then the employment levels in the sector will decline anyway.
This may be slightly ameliorated by setting up semi-industrialized or fully automated food processing factories, the existence of which is very limited in the whole of India, and why a lot of food is destroyed before it reaches the market. This is surely a crime.
I project at a very superficial level that West Bengal can create at least 5000 food processing factories of various size and capital investment. It can generate 1 to 2 million jobs of mainly females. Female workers are more reliable and less prone to strike. When they are busy working as bread winners of the family, they then tend not to produce so many children.
Comrade Mamata needs to set up a strategic planning commission for industrialization in West Bengal, which like the Japanese bureaucrats in the late 1940's and 1950's target certain industries for growth. Then she needs to start buying up land equitably, before industrial projects are finalized in anticipation of the massive surge of INDUSTRIALIZATION in the state.
ALL visible and invisible red tape needs to be abolished in the state, in anticipation of the massive industrialization program. I mean just be bold and get rid of them ALL. The British era red tape meant to discourage Indian industry, AND the other era of red tape introduced since the 1970's.
Industrialization of West Bengal must be directed by five sources: Using the resources of the state; Using the resources of the center; using the resources of the private sector in West Bengal; Using the resources of the rest of India; Using the resources of foreign companies.
Maybe export processing zones can be set up near Calcutta, and visits organized to China to see what legal framework the Chinese have established to attract foreign investment in their COASTAL economic Zones, which operate autonomously from the rest of China.
What is however clear is that mere "Bangla politics" and the love of Addha (When you get two Bengalis talking, you end up with 3 political parties)........is not going to save West Bengal.
Changing the name of the state will not make it prosperous and stable.
Throwing a little bit of money here and there, which one calls "gimmick politics" is not going to make the state prosperous and stable.
Engaging in meaningless "Chauto Lauk" politics of the type by Hasina Didi in neighboring Bangladesh based on political revenge is not going to make the state prosperous and stable.
Planning strategically, and spending strategically for INDUSTRIALIZATION and INFRASTRUCTURE will make the state prosperous and stable.
Creating simple streamlined legal instruments, which allows greater commercial freedom and investment will make the state prosperous and stable.
Creating a bureaucracy which is effective and responsive to the needs of the entrepreneur will make the state prosperous and stable. Where the businessman does not have to pay bribes or fill in 100 different forms which must be stamped by 1000 different government offices.
Bengal was the richest state in India around the 18th century, and the reason why the Mughals called it "the pearl of India". India overall by 1750 accounted for 25% of world manufacturing. Then the British arrived, and destroyed the state...........but I am sure Comrade Mamata does not need a history lesson from me.
Focus on INDUSTRIALIZATION and Infrastructure; change completely, boldly the legal instruments of the state pertaining to industry....don't be shy, just do it........change the bureaucracy to make it more responsive to the needs of the businessman.
Avoid Bangla "Chauto Lauk" politics! Which relishes the whole process of political discourse, as a near sexual experience, but produces no pragmatic solutions to the problems in the final analysis.
Amee Apne ther Bhalo Chai
Mamata rains sops in Bengal’s Maoland
By HT Correspondent
Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee unleashed a slew of development measures in West Bengal’s Maoland, including 900 schools in Santhali language, the native language of the area, a slew of job oriented training opportunities, water supply schemes and employment of 10,000 local students in the police force.
“None would remain without food and work,” said the chief minister at a public meeting in the Maoist stronghold of Nayagram in West Mindapore on Tuesday. She is supposed to address another meeting in Jhargram 70 kms away.
However, she made it clear that the central paramilitary forces would not be withdrawn from the Maoist-dominated area. "If you stick to the path of peace, none would harass you," said the chief minister, in an obvious attempt to quell the discontent against the alleged excesses of the forces.
Mamata is on a 48-hour tour of West Midnapore and Bankura, two of the state’s Maoist-dominated districts.
The trip raised expectations of development to new heights as the chief minister had announced that her government is open to dialogue with the rebels, and mandated six civil society members to initiate the process.
Mamata’s list of announcements on Tuesday included vocational training centers, nursing training centers, ICDS programmes
“10,000 local students would get jobs in the police department. In addition, 1,800 Santahli students would get government jobs,” said the chief minister.
In her own style, Mamata kept asking the audience “What do you want?” and the crowd shouted back its demands.
As many as 235 madhyamik schools (10 level) would be turned into higher secondary schools (plus two level), three colleges would be set up in Salboni, Nayagram and Gopiballavpur (all in West Midnapore).
The goodies also included a stadium and a sports and culture training center at Nayagram.
“Rs 58 crore would be spent on developing facilities of the hospitals in the district. A sum of Rs 112 crore would be spent on drinking water projects,” said the chief minister.
Mamata announced that 75,000 locals would get old age pension, which entitled one to Rs 1,000 per month. The figure was 8,000 during the Left Front regime, she said.
“I would come here again after three months,” said Mamata.
