Mamata Banerjee releases election manifesto

To counter the Opposition charge that her government had failed on the industrial front, chief minister and Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday made it clear that development and industrialisation will be her top priority if she is voted back to power. “We have grand plans for a number of development projects for future. Setting up of industries and progress and prosperity of the new generation in all spheres will be on top of our agenda so that we can make Bengal the world’s best place,” Ms Banerjee said while releasing the TMC’s election manifesto at her Kalighat residence.

The manifesto enlists her government’s successes in health, education, minority affairs, tourism, industry, transport et al. It also highlights restoration of peace in the Hills and Junglemahal.

The fact that 15 pages in the manifesto has been devoted to industries and small industries clearly shows the chief minister’s determination to turn Bengal into an industrially advanced state. “Our government’s top priority will be to come up with special policies and schemes for development of industries... We will consider plans for knowledge-based industries like IT and industries that depend on intellectual resources.... An industrial investment fund will be maintained to promote and regulate industrialisation,” the manifesto, that was released in five different languages, promises.

Claiming that her government has delivered much more than her party had promised in nearly all the departments, she admitted that the only promise that has not been fulfilled was the return of land to the unwilling farmers in Singur because of a legal tangle. “We passed the Singur Bill immediately after coming to power. But it was challenged in the court. The matter is subjudice and we are waiting for the verdict. We are confident that the unwilling farmers will get back their land as this was our commitment,” she added.

Ms Banerjee asserted that contrary to the Opposition’s criticism, her government will now be moving ahead in industrialisation. “During my tenure, the industrial output has jumped to 12 per cent from the meagre 2 per cent during the Left regime. We have opened the floodgates of investment in Bengal. The response has been very encouraging. The Left had blocked all roads for investors to fund projects; we have not only unblocked them, but also widened the avenues for the world outside,” she claims in the manifesto.

The chief minister pointed out several welfare schemes like Sabuj Sathi, Khadya Sathi, Kanyashree, which her government has launched in the past few years, were not mentioned in her 2011 manifesto. “We promise less and do more work. Our party believes in policies which are necessarily people-friendly, industry-friendly and farmer-friendly and which serve the aspirations of all people, irrespective of caste, creed and religion,” she said. The chief minister again slammed the “unethical” alliance between the Left and Congress.