Ease of doing business: Bengal to highlight Rs 3,527 crore road infra push at BGBS

Kolkata: To ensure further industrial growth in the state, the Mamata Banerjee government during the forthcoming Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) will highlight how it has taken up an initiative of constructing and repairing about 1,000 km of roads in various districts in the next two months under around 119 different projects at an approximate cost of Rs 3,527 crore.

Furthermore, the MSME sector has also received a boom after the Mamata Banerjee government came to power.

To ensure further growth in the MSME sector, the road infrastructure will be enhanced in different districts. One of the main objectives was to attract more investments during the BGBS. Many of the projects relating to the construction of roads were partially completed. The PWD department has been supervising the road construction projects. According to sources, several works on roads are underway, including the widening of Kalyani ExpressWay between Muragacha in North 24-Parganas and Kuppa More in Nadia’s Kalyani, widening of roads between Salkia-Chanditala road in Howrah, Kanthi-Khejuri road in East Midnapore. Ahmedpur Kirnahar- Ramjibanpur road in Birbhum, Haatigoria Kultikori Rohini Rogra road in Jhargram, Tarapur-Bolagarghat road in Nadia, Bamangola-Habibpur road in North Bengal’s Malda and a stretch between Kalchni and Paikpara in Alipurduar. There are several roads in the list in the Darjeeling district.

Sources said that the Mamata Banerjee government has spent Rs 9,000 crore from the state’s exchequer to construct 32,000 km of roads in villages even after the Centre denied funds to the state government for the projects.

The Bengal government has ensured proper road infrastructure in every corner of the state. Road connectivity is a major lifeline for the growth of industries and MSMEs.

With an aim to ensure 4-lane road connectivity between the Kolkata Airport and Kalyani AIIMs, the state PWD has almost completed road infrastructure projects between the Belghoria Expressway and Kalyani AIIMs in phases which will reduce the travel time to 45 minutes from 2 hours.

BGBS will be held on February 5 and 6.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to lay the foundation stones for two major infrastructure projects involving an estimated investment of around Rs 1,900 crore from the dais.

The foundation stone will be laid for the Gangasagar Setu on River Muriganga and for Silpa Setu on River Damodar.

The former bridge is expected to benefit the people of South 24-Parganas apart from the pilgrims who visit Gangasagar Mela at Sagar Island every year.