Hello, London, a baggage short- Message in place of stay | |
| Devadeep Purohit | |
 Mamata London, July 26: After Air India Flight 111 from Delhi to Heathrow touched down at Terminal 4 this evening, Mamata Banerjee headed to 45-51 Buckingham Gate, which will be her address till the evening of July 30 this English summer. St James' Court, a central London hotel, has been a favourite with visiting Indian dignitaries. Still, the Bengal chief minister's decision to stay there catches the eye for two reasons. One, communist patriarch Jyoti Basu would check into this hotel through the 1980s and 1990s during his two-week summer trips to London, which he would keep largely free of official engagements. Old-timers recall how Basu would celebrate his birthday on July 8 at this hotel along with a few friends from the world of industry, or go out to watch plays. In 1996, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, then Bengal's information and cultural affairs minister, had accompanied Basu during his London visit. They stayed at St James' Court and attended the formal dedication of Rabindranath Tagore's bust at Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Two, the property is part of the Taj Hotel chain, which Mamata has consciously avoided since 2006, when she began her agitation against Tata Motors' proposed small-car plant in Singur. It could not be confirmed whether Mamata knew about the hotel's Basu and Bhattacharjee connections but sources at Nabanna said she was aware of the Tata ownership. "She did not express any reservations after learning about the Tata link.... She was booked there after she gave her approval," a source said.  St James' Court in London, where Mamata will put up While a one-off nod to a Tata hotel does not imply a change in Mamata's stand towards the group, she must be aware that the Mumbai-headquartered Tatas are an important player in Britain. The latest data show that five Tata group companies employ more than 65,000 people in the UK. Tata Motors' pullout from Singur in 2008 because of Mamata's protests had created worldwide news. The chief minister, whose main purpose in London is to scout for investment, knows her state has an image problem. Had she expressed reservations about a Tata hotel in the run-up to the visit - a year after her finance minister Amit Mitra had accused Ratan Tata of having "lost his mind" - it could have sent out a negative signal to British industry.  The facade of the hotel In fact, after Mamata had greeted the passengers and crew of the first flight of Vistara, the Tatas' new airline, at Bagdogra because of a coincidence in April, she had told an aide: "If, in the interests of Bengal, I need to go to Taj Bengal (the group's flagship hotel in Calcutta), I will do so." Some of the Calcutta industrialists visiting London with Mamata told The Telegraph before they left for London that her public statements ahead of the trip reflected a dose of pragmatism. "We started from negative.... I won't say I will achieve 100 per cent. Even if we can get 30 per cent, it will be a big achievement," the chief minister had said during an informal briefing on the trip on Thursday. The Opposition has questioned the rationale behind Mamata's London visit, which follows her mostly symbolic Singapore trip last August in search of investment. Against this backdrop, a 30 per cent target is not a bad idea, a Nabanna source said.  A suite in the hotel Not only is she trying to lower the expectations, the planning is better this time. Instead of focusing only on industrial investment, the trip has been planned keeping academic, health and cultural tie-ups in mind too," the official said. "Even if there are no substantial investments to show, she can always highlight the achievements on the other fronts." The chief minister can also tell her Left critics that unlike a vacationing Basu, she had gone to London with a public agenda, accompanied by industrialists. But the bigger question is whether the state would gain anything from her maiden trip to a country Indian chief ministers love to visit. Although Rajasthan's Vasundhara Raje cancelled her scheduled London trip this month following the Lalit Modi controversy, then Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had visited Britain last year. Odisha's Naveen Patnaik too was in London in May 2012 to scout for investment. "Chief ministers and (other) ministers of Indian states have kept coming to London in the garb of looking for investors but I find the idea a bit absurd as investments do not translate from the roadshows where presentations are made. Investors want replies to their specific queries before taking any decision," said a former diplomat who was earlier posted in the Indian high commission in London. The Mamata government claims to have made business processes easier and speedier in Bengal but questions persist on law and order and land availability. Offering the government land bank and promising law and order can evoke applause at chamber gatherings in Calcutta, but foreign investors would need specifics about the size and location of the land parcels and local infrastructure to be tempted. "The most important factor in attracting foreign investments is the follow-up with (prospective) investors," a senior official from an apex business chamber said. "One roadshow can at best familiarise the investors with the state. The hard work starts after that as officials need to pursue those who have shown interest." Unlike the Singapore trip, which was chaperoned by the industry department, this visit is being handled by the micro, small and medium enterprises department. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150727/jsp/frontpage/story_33887.jsp#.VbZBl7Oqqko |
Monday, July 27, 2015
Singur is used and thrown! It is Indian Politics my Jaan!
Singur is used and thrown! It is Indian Politics my Jaan!
Palash Biswas
I am not surprized at all as Mamata Didi landed London with an agenda to make London and the first thing she did is a huge spin greater than Shane Warn.Didi has nothing to do with Maa Mati Manush or minority despite her political gimmicks! She was neither concerned with th pligh of Adivasi Geography countrywide.Didi never voiced Adivasi beyond Bengal Vote Bank and never fails to prohject herself as a devotee of Islam in her Namaj and Ramjan Mubarak.
Didi has graduated in making headlines and screaming slogans populist.It is the gist of her politics.What she speaks to media,she never means it.What she promises to the audience,she would never do it.
Didi with her spcifically branded politics of replicated redical left to dislodge the Left itself from Bengal Politics,has made so many turnarounds time to time,it is no surprize that she bought peace to remain in the good books of business friendly governance with which she is recently aligned once again.Forget not her earlier alliance with NDA or UPA time to time.
I had not to write on Did`s London visit and was waiting her FACEBOOK selfies with the Queen which would definitely would be an excellent achievement for a woman right into the heart of power politics rising from the dust and fire.
But the latest development has the meat that we have to eat as TMC MPs only today demonstrated on the gate of the Parliament with an unprecedented Paddy Show by the brightest stars in Bengal!
Coincidntally,opposing land acquisition bill ans bailing out the governance of fascism in Rajya Sabha has become the new Parliamentary phenomenon of betrayal to Maa Maati Maanush.So what that on the very day,didi does not announced her will to trasfer Singur to Tata Motors.But the ball is rolling.What she does not announce,she would certaily do that.Just look into her history in politics!
Mamata has made peace with Tata and Tata Motors!.
I am afraid that Singur is used and thrown! It is Indian Politics my Jaan!
Look! Mamata to check into Taj Hotel in London!
The leader who came to power by heading an agitation against Tata's Nano, appears to have balanced her administrative and electoral priorities!
However,it is no secret that Banerjee has consciously avoided any personal association with the Tata brand since the 2008 Singur movement. This often reached an extreme level with her Cabinet ministers castigating local TMC leaders for driving a Nano. But that could be in for a change.
Yes,Fifty four Buckingham Gate, St James' Court, a Taj Hotel in London, will be West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee's address for her four-day trip starting July 26. The leader who came to power by heading an agitation against Nano, a Tata product, as it appears, has balanced her administrative and electoral priorities.
Mind you, Mamata Banerjee would become the first chief minister from an Indian state to get an official reception at Britain's most iconic address — the Buckingham Palace.
The Duke of York — Prince Andrew — the second son and third child of the Queen will host an evening tea and engage in an hour-long one-to-one meeting with Mamata at the house of the monarch of United Kingdom. The reception will take place at 4pm on July 27.
The speaker of the House of Lords — known as the Lord Speaker who chairs daily business in the House of Lords chamber and is an ambassador for the work of the House — Baroness D'Souza, will also attend the reception.
Earlier,The Mamata Banerjee government wants to mend bridges with the Tatas. Keeping with the larger public interest, specially to the interest of cancer patients in the state, the Mamata Banerjee government has considered and approved request made by Tata Sons Limited to bifurcate a five acre land in Rajarhat New Town to Tata Medical Centre Trust by way of gift for the Tata Medical Centre Hospital to set up residential facilities for its doctors and hospital staff.
Earlier,As the Centre pushed to bring on board the states on the Land Bill, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said that her government would never go for forcible land acquisition.
Banerjee, who skipped the NITI Aayog's Governing Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to discuss various issues, including the land Bill, said her state was following an alternative land policy as it "cannot wait indefinitely for the Centre to come up with its land acquisition policy".
"We have framed an alternative land policy where direct purchase can be done through negotiations without any forcible acquisition," the chief minister said at the 100th administrative meeting of the Trinamool Congress government here.
Banerjee said that the government had been able to complete various projects through direct land purchase after holding negotiations with the land-owners.
She said that the government had to do this because many projects were getting stalled in the absence of Centre's land acquisition policy which was pending.
"We cannot wait indefinitely for the Centre to come up with its land acquisition policy, so we have started following this model. We have taken the people into confidence while acquiring land," the chief minister said.
Citing instances where the state had been able to give land to big projects, Banerjee said that the Andal greenfield airport was given land for completion as well as NTPC's Katwa project, among others.
Several other projects for bridges and irrigation had started by acquiring land following this route, she said. "It depends on case-to-case basis". The state had also created a land bank, land use policy and land map. "We have taken land from this bank to set up industrial parks," she said.
Referring to Singur, which witnessed vehement opposition by her to forcible acquisition for Tata's Nano project by erstwhile Left Front government, she said, "There was a problem. But for others there had been no such issue". Spelling out another new initiative at the meeting, attended by ministers, bureaucrats, SDOs, BDOs among others, Banerjee said that the state government was contemplating creating a "business corridor" as West Bengal was the gateway to the east.
"In line with the 'Look East Policy' of the Centre, we are intending to create a business corridor as the state is the gateway for Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan," she said.
This corridor would help boost trade, travel and tourism ties with these countries and the estimated cost will be around Rs 2000 crore.
"We will tell the Centre about this plan," she said.
The money would be spent in developing infrastructure at border points like widening of roads, creating approach roads and rail overbridges, she said.
She also said that the state would also provide help in setting up bank branches with the intention to wipe out the lure of the ponzi firms which were duping the people.
She said the model of holding continuous meetings at districts had proved to be very successful.
"Working at the grassroots level has proved to be very effective. We do not want to impose decisions from the top," she said, adding that such meetings were held few and far between during the previous government.
Despite the Centre "stalling" funds under NREGA, she said, West Bengal had emerged number one in this scheme. Attacking the previous government, Banerjee said "no money was spent before my party came to power. Only non-plan expenditure was made".
Like the three-tier panchayati system, she said the government would create a similar DM-SDO-BDO path to improve delivery mechanism.
Blaming the Left Front for state's debt burden, she said that "there is no money with us for doing development work".
"All the money is used to pay up for the debt of the past government," she said, adding that despite such a handicap, the state had achieved success in sectors like health, roads, education, minority and tribal welfare.
The government would create job opportunities for two lakh people. "We have already given government employment to 2.5 lakh," Banerjee said.
Times of India reports:
The state urban development department recently issued a notification on this regard following the green signal of the state cabinet.
According to the decision that has been taken, in larger interest of the public, specially to the interest of cancer patients, the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) will be bifurcating plot number 11G/8 as per the plan that was earlier submitted by Tata Sons Ltd and will allow Tata Sons Ltd to transfer a 2.5 acre land out of the total 5 acre of land in plot number 11G/8 by bifurcation to Tata Medical Centre Trust by way of gift for constructing residential facilities for housing apartments for doctors and other staff working in Tata Medical Centre hospital in New Town, subject to the condition that the transfer shall be done in accordance of the prevailing laws and rules of New Town and on the terms and conditions set up by the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) in this regard.
According to the land policy that was adopted after the Mamata Banerjee government came to power, no allotted plot can be kept unutilized for more than six months and notices had earlier been sent for many organisations who have kept their land unused in New Town for a long time. However, the state government have been considering some special cases, sources from the state secretariat said.
Earlier, Tata Sons Limited had submitted a letter along with a representation of the plan to Hidco on April this year, requesting to demarcate and sub divide the said allotted plot in New Town. It was during the Left Front government's tenure in 2008 that a five acre plot was allotted to the Tata group by Hidco on free hold basis for a residential purpose. The deed of conveyance for the plot was registered on March 28, 2008 and possession of the plot was handed over on May 3 the same year.
The Singur controversy occurred around the same time with the project strongly opposed by Mamata Banerjee who was then in the opposition. The issue attracted international attention and the Tata's finally decided to shift out from Singur in October in the same year to Sanand in Gujarat to set up its Nano car factory following the controversy over land acquisition.
The Hindu reports:
The country's capital markets have been in a bubbly mood through much of the Modi government's one year rule. In 2014-15, Rs. 9,750 crore was raised through the stock markets. In the first quarter of the current fiscal year, Rs. 9,800 crore was raised, exceeding the entire amount raised last year.
However not a single proposal came from West Bengal which signalled the state of affairs in the eastern region. "Does no one have any expansion plan in these parts?" quizzed U.K. Sinha, the disturbed head of the capital market watchdog SEBI.
Thus, it is not only negative perceptions that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will have to battle against during her trip to London commencing on Sunday. There are also some harsh ground realities, which she will have to counter when she pitches West Bengal an attractive investment-destination.
Much like the early years of the Left Front rule, when industrialists (called capitalists then) were almost projected as an enemy of the people, Ms. Banerjee too acquired an anti-industry tag after the Tata Nano project's exit following the violent agitation spearheaded by her Trinamool Congress, then in opposition, against land acquisition. It helped her ascendancy to power, but cut short the people's hopes of an industrial resurgence and increased employment based on the aggressive wooing of industry by the previous government.
Ms. Banerjee not only attracted worldwide attention by coming to power displacing a 34-year old Left government but since then has been invited by many governments. She chose Singapore, to mark her first footprints on a foreign soil as a Chief Minister as she felt the locational advantage of the island-State and the Centre's Look East policy would make it easier for her to attract investments to West Bengal.
Investment opportunities
Her visit to Singapore and now to the U.K. is mainly aimed at building a brand for West Bengal. While leading a 50-member delegation, Ms. Banerjee sought to put the State in the reckoning of overseas investors, who till now flew past West Bengal, parking their investments in the South and the North. Her London delegation is even bigger –100- including – a fairly high voltage industrial presence (some from outside the state) and a line-up of musicians whose presence is baffling.
Even as sectors like healthcare, culture and education have been identified as some of the likely areas of co operation, interactions have been arranged between the FICCI and the U.K. India Business Council. Attracting investment for the upcoming financial hub in Rajarhat and the renewable energy sector is also on agenda.
Since August, 2014 Ms. Banerjee and her Ministers have scoured three countries for investment— Singapore, China and now the U.K. The outcome of the first two visits is unclear till now. But her desperation is easy to understand.
Assembly polls
Only a few projects have been launched since May 2011 when this government came to power. Most of them, like the Airport city project and the IISCO modernisation project were kicked off during the previous reign. This is a fact that raises Ms. Banerjee's hackles and one that she is keen to change. The coming Assembly elections in 2016 add a sense of urgency to Ms. Banerjee's overtures. Her desperation is easy to understand.
Ms. Banerjee has talked of land banks and an enabling atmosphere for businessmen. But many industrialists do not set great store by either the work culture or a conducive atmosphere. The recession in the country has not aided investment flow either.
Ms. Banerjee's sincerity — whether it be about standing her ground on land acquisition or bringing industry to the State cannot be questioned. But transparency about the funding of such large delegations by a debt-stressed State and response from domestic industry may help her better in her mission.
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