Bengal Inc to hear Gujarat's success story from Modi

Kolkata: Bengal Inc is set to hear from Narendra Modi about the success story of his state when the flamboyant Gujarat chief minister addresses entrepreneurs in Kolkata in early April 2013.

Modi, widely touted as the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) likely prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, is scheduled to visit the city April 9, 2013 and speak at a special session of businessmen on how he transformed Gujarat into one of the fastest growing states in India.

"Modi has been requested to share his strategy, ideas and suggestions for initiating a 'Vibrant Growth Model' and how he transformed Gujarat into the fastest growing state in India for the last one decade," MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry director general RK Sen said Monday.

"He has kindly accepted our invitation to address a special session of the businessmen and members of the chambers," Sen said.

The special session will be organised jointly by MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Bharat Chamber of Commerce at a plush five star hotel.

Besides the industry interaction, Modi is also likely to be present at a state BJP programme in the city.

The interaction between Modi and Bengal industry captains will take place amid concerns over West Bengal's investment prospects.

In a major controversy, port equipment operator Haldia Bulk Terminal (HBT) Pvt Ltd, which operated at two mechanised berths at the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC), announced last October that it would quit the port as also the state over "poor law and order" and "safety" concerns of its employees.

The development had prompted industry experts to raise concern over the state's growth prospects amid apprehension that the development might worsen the state's industrial prospects after the Singur fiasco, where Modi's Gujarat gained at Bengal's cost.

Following an often violent and sustained anti-land acquisition movement spearheaded by then opposition leader Mamata Banerjee in 2008, automobile giant Tata Motors had pulled out its small car Nano project from Singur in Hooghly district to Sanand in Gujarat.