West Bengal holds meeting with USIBC to boost investment

KOLKATA: In its efforts to boost the investment scenario in Bengal, Mamata Banerjee’s government yet again held a meeting with the US-India Business Council (USIBC). The meeting was held in New York, around three months before Bengal global business meet.

Derek O'Brien, leader of All India Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party in Rajya Sabha had flown down to New York to meet the members of USBIC while Bengal’s finance minister Amit Mitra joined in on video conference.

USIBC President Mukesh Aghi, Ajay Banga, Global CEO of MasterCard, Ambassador Frank Wisner, Consul General of India in New York, Riva Ganguly Das and 35 other delegates attended the meeting. During the meeting, Mitra highlighted that at macroeconomic level, growth of Bengal stands far above the growth rate of India:

Mitra also informed the gathering that the economy of Bengal was at a more solid footing compared to 2010-11 (during the Left rule). The GSDP (at current prices) has doubled, fiscal deficit and revenue deficit has been brought down, state’s own tax revenues have been doubled in four years. Plan expenditure has grown by three times and capital expenditure has grown by 7 times. Physical infrastructure in the State has grown by 4 times, he added. "The 90 minute meeting was purposive. Q&A session too in NYC was invigorating," tweeted Derek O'Brien.