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The Truth Behind Bengal's
Amazing Transformation

West Bengal is passing through an amazing phase of transformation. This is a change that the state desperately needs. But some observers say this change has arrived rather come is too late. There are others who say that the change is too fast. The Left Front government's pro-active economic initiatives, especially its stand on industrialization, have drawn flak from several quarters, the media, the party cadre and other sundry observers. In order to get a clear picture, Subhajit Bhattacharya talks to Emergency Services Minister Pratim Chatterjee, who is also a veteran party man.

How would you analyze the 33 years' tenure of the Left Front government in the state?
I started off with the party when I was very young. I have seen many ups and downs in the party and in the state. We struggled a lot to build our entity in the state. To gain people's trust, we have struggled with the people. We have always stood by in their days of hardship. We have always fought against the capitalist power. I have always believed in the ideology of Communism, but now we have changed with the time. We have transformed ourselves, because to move towards the development, we have to change. We did make many mistakes in the past by not accepting the trend of globalization but we have soon realized that the world and the whole scenario is changing so we also have to change to make West Bengal economically strong and robust.

The change which we have all been witnessing in the state in the last eight years is miraculous. What is the mantra behind it?
There is no magic, but as I have said the state government had understood its faults and we soon started working on them. We all know that no change can be made in one day. So I think that it is the result of the seeds planted by former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu. But yes, I can definitely say that in the last eight years, the new Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has done a lot. Due to the relentless efforts of these leaders, West Bengal has acquired a new dimension in its vision and a new destination to reach. Now businessmen want to invest in the state. I think in another five years, the whole scenario will be different, with the state entering the global market as a force.
The government came into power a little more than three decades back by fighting against capitalism and bourgeois culture. It's slogan had been the employer- employee equality.

Do you think this sudden change in the government's policies will have an adverse impact on its public image in the future?
No, I don't think so, because we haven't tilted ourselves from our philosophy. But yes, as I have said, times have changed a lot and so have we. If you see China. It has also changed a lot. Even as the country has followed Marxism, China has emerged as a new world power. We are still a government, which thinks about the wellbeing of farmers in Singur. We have never tried to snatch lands from the farmers. We have only taken land from those farmers who have given their consent. The government has paid about Rs 12 lakh to each farmer who gave his land for the Tata small car project. Yes, I admit that the government has taken some of the fertile land, because we didn't have any other option. Now a days if you check, you can observe that most members of the farmers' next generation are coming to cities in search of jobs because they are educated. They want jobs and a better living. Also you have to see why we have selected Singur for the Tata project. A small car factory needs good connectivity so that the product can reach the market as soon as possible and also the dock facility nearby. We are also planning for some floating docks which would lower the pressure in Haldia and Kolkata. An iron or steel factory would never need such places because they need places like Birbhum Bankura where there is barren land.
Do you think West Bengal has enough infrastructure to support and sustain this industrial boom?
Had you asked this question 10 years ago then I would have said, no we are not ready to take this challenge. But now I am pretty sure we are prepared to woo big companies to come to the state. Our Chief Minister has taken adequate steps to upgrade the infrastructure in the state to ensure a good market to investors and a proper place for their business. Now we have an extremely good communication system and as I have said we ill be coming up with some floating docks very soon. We also have ample electricity, and the most important thing is the availability of skilled labour. For example, we have very good stock of automobile engineers in the state who have taken voluntary retirement in the Hindustan motors. So I think they can be used by the Tatas. We also have a large English speaking population working in the IT and the BPO companies like Wipro and Genpact.

You are in-charge of the state's Ministry of Emergency Services. As you see it now, the state is dotted with many industries. Its cities' skyline is changing with skyscrapers and business malls. What is your dept doing about industrial security and safety?
Yes, I know this is a very important issue. We as a dept of Emergency Services are looking into this matter in a very serious way. All the new buildings have to take permission from our department and they also have to take adequate precautions for fire safety. Our expert team is always there to guide them in case of any need. But if there is any kind of fire or any kind of breach of safety norms then we have the power to cancel the licence of the company in question. We can also arrest the owner of that company .

Now disaster management a very important issue worldwide. The Central government is also taking this issue very seriously. What is the state's stand on this issue?
It's a very important issue. We also have a specialized department which looks after disaster management. I think we still need some time to get prepared for handling issues such as disaster management. But we are taking steps very fast towards it. I personally have spoken to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil. We are very soon going to purchase some equipment estimated to cost Rs 2 crore to handle critical situations.

Where do you see West Bengal after five years?
West Bengal is definitely moving in the right direction. I am very hopeful that we will succeed and we will have a very bright and prosperous future for the new generation.