National
Bengal nets over Rs 2.19 lakh cr of investment proposals (Roundup)
Kolkata, Jan 17 (IANS) The two-day “Bengal Global Business Summit 2018” organised by the state government has received new investment proposals worth Rs 2,19,925 crore, which is less than last year by about Rs 15,000 crore, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced here on Wednesday.
Addressing delegates on the concluding day of the meet, she said 50 per cent of last year’s business proposals and those of previous years were “in the process” of implementation.
“The new investment proposals for this year that we have received is about Rs 2, 19,925 crore. It may go up also,” she said.
The state’s opposition parties – the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) – had on Tuesday demanded a white paper from the government on the number of proposals the state had received in the earlier summits and those that had fructified.
Banerjee on Wednesday said: “Whatever we discussed about the business summit… you cannot say that we only discuss or give hopes. We talk less, work more.
“Even last year, of what we discussed, 50 per cent of the businesses (proposals) are in process… Earlier also, the situation was like this.”
State Finance and Industries Minister Amit Mitra told reporters that of the total investment proposals, the manufacturing and infrastructure sector netted investment commitments of Rs 1,56,811 crore, “which is significant”.
Among other major sectors, the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) and textiles attracted business proposals of Rs 52,952 crore, hospitality and tourism got Rs 1,483 crore, IT &ITes Rs 1,146 crore, animal resource, food processing, fisheries and agribusiness Rs 1,518 crore and health, education and skill development got Rs 6,015 crore worth of proposals.
According to the state government, the 2015 summit fetched investment proposals worth Rs 2.43 lakh crore and the 2016 edition over Rs 2.5 lakh crore.
Business announcements worth over Rs 2.35 lakh crore were received by the state in the last edition of the summit.
Terming the fourth edition of the business summit a “successful event”, Mitra said 1,046 B2B and 40 B2G meetings were held in the summit and, in all, 110 MoUs was signed.
“The perceptional change about Bengal was visible from the participation of delegates from India and abroad who expressed their business interest in the state,” he said.
As many as 350 international delegations from 32 countries including Japan, Italy, Poland, Korea, Czech Republic, Germany, Britain, France and UAE and over 4,000 delegates participated in the fourth edition of Bengal Global Business Summit held at the sprawling Biswa Bangla International Convention Centre at New Town, Rajarhat here.
Foreign delegates from Korea, China, Germany, Italy and other countries have shown interest in the manufacturing sector, Banerjee said.
“Your kind presence made the summit successful. Your kind presence is our inspiration and strength. You are our great assets. We are delighted to know about your vision,” she said.
Thanking Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani for his Rs 5,000 crore investment proposals, she said the investments would create a large number of employment opportunities in the state.
“If you calculate all together, with whatever business proposals we have received, employment for more than 20 lakh people will be created,” Banerjee said, adding that industries and agriculture were growing hand-in-hand in the state.
Mitra said new policies – Logistic Park Development and Promotion Policy, Export Promotion Policy, RoRo Operation policy – were unveiled during the summit to provide an enabling framework.
According to him, Dassault Systems signed off with Indian Chamber of Commerce for setting up a design centre while Apparel Export Promotion Council announced the setting up a skill development centre.
Uber and Ola signed pacts with the state Transport Department to increase employment opportunities for the youth.
Among big ticket MoUs is signing of pact between state government and Poland’s Silesian region and state Power Department inked agreement with GIZ (Germany) towards an Energy Action Plan for the state.
State-run Jadavpur University signed three MoUs for collaboration in various fields with Exeter University, Edinburgh University and Eotvos Lorand University. City-based Presidency University too inked pact with Edinburgh University in the area of higher education and Life Sciences.
The Chief Minister described the state as “the investment destination”, as it had political stability and labour, talent and a business-friendly environment.
According to her, West Bengal is strategically placed for businesses for Asean countries, including neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan and the northeastern states of India.
“Bengal deserves to be a global industrial hub,” she told delegates at the summit.
“We are a united and cosmopolitan family. There are no differences on caste and creed. Tolerance is the key. If you don’t tolerate people, you would not get the results,” she said.
Banerjee also announced that national carrier Air India would commence its services from the Greenfield airport at Andal near Durgapur in the state to Delhi from January 28.
The next year’s summit will be held on February 7 and 8. “Next year, one day will be dedicated to the world business summit and the other day for conclaves,” Banerjee said.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.