The big question doing the rounds is whether Bengal under Mamata Banerjee would be able to undergo a re-industrialization. With industrialist like Amit Mitra likely to be inducted in the cabinet––most probably finance minister in place of Asim Dasgupta––will the state be able to invite investors from India and abroad.

Comparison is being made between West Bengal and Bihar. The latter failed in the last five and a half years to bring any worthwhile investment though industrialists like Mukesh Ambani of Reliance and Sunil Bharati Mittal of AirTel visited Patna.

Not to speak in core sector these industrialists did not even investe in the agro-based industry such as sugar mills. After initial interest Reliance withdrew from this sector. It is back to square one for Bihar, so far industrialization is concerned. The only worthwhile investment made in Bihar was by the Railways, which set up a few plants in the last few years.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sometimes back refused to give land for the Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Not to speak about industry at present the state is finding it very difficult to get land for even power plants.

The situation in neighbouring West Bengal is somewhat different. Here Mamata Banerjee opposed the manner in which the Left took up the re-industrialization of the state. Instead of setting up small and medium scale industries for the creation of job the Left invited Tata for establishing much subsidized Nano car and Salim Group of Indonesia for SEZs. This resulted in Nandigram and Singur.
The Left squandered an opportunity to re-industrialize West Bengal. It appeared that the chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee got too much influenced by the corporate houses, which ultimately led to his downfall.

But with Mamata now becoming the chief minister the question is whether she would abandon her policy and invite the same corporate houses whom she had been opposing. By giving some tickets to those close to corporate sector she had given enough signal that she stands for the industrialization of West Bengal.

Unlike post-Jharkhand Bihar, Mamata’s state has several advantages. Kolkata had been the headquarters of many corporate houses and public sector units. West Bengal has ports, which is essential for export and import. Besides, the state has the industrial belt in Burnpur-Asansol, Durgapur and Howrah as well as lush green farm land along Ganga and other rivers. It has mineral belt in Raniganj. Kolkata has better air connectivity and West Bengal has better rail and road routes than Bihar.

Thanks to efforts made by earlier Left rule West Bengal managed to overcome the power shortage. Electricity is basic requisite for the re-industrialization of any state.

Bihar has none of these advantages. It is true, West Bengal is in the east, which is economically not as active as the western coast, even then there is enough scope for the state to bounce back and re-industrialize itself. Entrepreneurs, who had left the state, may return to make investment. Those who want to invest in the east may now skip Bihar and go for West Bengal, which has a better infrastructure facilities. But much depends on the acumen of Mamata Banerjee.

She had proved that she is a better opposition leader than perhaps a minister in the Union cabinet. True she brought about some railway industry in her states and introduced trains like Doronto Express, but the way she handled railways created many doubts over her ability to manage. The manner in which she repeatedly blamed Left for accidents, even headon collisions, did not go down well among common people outside her state.

Mamata has some similarlties with Nitish, who too was the Railway Minister before becoming the chief minister of the state. The two have good relationship as well. True Nitish had not managed to attract big investment for Bihar, yet he has been running the state without much trouble for the last five and a half years. Will Mamata, with better mineral and human resources succeed and put West Bengal back on the track.

Re-industrialization of Bengal may have an impact on Bihar. A large labour force may once again look east instead of going to Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

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