Rattled by the negative publicity it is facing following the decision of cargo operator ABG Haldia Bulk Terminals (HBT) to leave Haldia, the Mamata Banerjee government has decided to hold an industrial trade fair in Haldia to showcase West Bengal as an attractive investment destination. Bengal Leads 2012 will be held in December and state commerce and industries minister Partha Chatterjee is going to Haldia on November 6 to supervise preparations for the mega event. The CII is being given the responsibility to organise the event.
Scoffing at the move, Congress spokesperson Abdul Mannas said that it was an exercise at damage control. “The state government remained a silent spectator when ABG was being hounded by supporters of a Trinamul Congress MP. It did not react when three ABG officials were allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint and forced to flee Haldia. Now the chief minister wants to tell the investors that Bengal is an ideal investment destination. Who will believe her?” Mr Mannan asked.
A state minister, however, denied that the decision to hold Bengal Leads 2012 in Haldia was taken following the ABG imbroglio. “When the chief minister had visited Haldia last month to inaugurate some projects, she had said that the industrial fair would be held in Haldia,” he said.
An angry government has now decided to victimise the victim. State labour minister Purnendu Bose launched a scathing attack on ABG. He is writing to the Union labour minister complaining that ABG had violated labour laws and had not paid PF to workers. The state government is trying to establish that ABG left because of its own inefficiency and funds crunch.
However, in a sensational disclosure, it has come to light that Trinamul Congress MP from Tamluk Subhendu Adhikari had publicly threatened to drive out ABG from Haldia Dock Complex way back in March 2010. A videoclip aired by two Bengali news channels showed Mr Adhikari declaring at a party rally that ABG will not be allowed to commence its cargo-handling operations in the dock complex. “We will keep the equipment, such as cranes etc which they (ABG) have brought, but they will be kept outside the gate of the port. I am giving you this assurance as an MP,” Mr Adhikari had announced.