The state which was at one time known as the strike capital of the country has brought down man-days lost to industrial action to zero from 75 lakh annually, said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday as she wooed investors from across the globe at a big-ticket business summit here.

Banerjee, addressing a large gathering of industry tycoons at the Bengal Global Business Summit, however also took a dig at the central government urging the state’s Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to talk to central authorities to ensure that industrialists are “not disturbed by some agencies”.

The state which was at one time known as the strike capital of the country has brought down man-days lost to industrial action to zero from 75 lakh annually, said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday as she wooed investors from across the globe at a big-ticket business summit here.

Banerjee, addressing a large gathering of industry tycoons at the Bengal Global Business Summit, however also took a dig at the central government urging the state’s Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to talk to central authorities to ensure that industrialists are “not disturbed by some agencies”.

“Bengal is the first state to organise a physical business summit since the Covid pandemic struck. It is the gateway to eastern and northeastern India, neighbouring Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal as well as South East Asia,” Banerjee pointed out.

“We lost 75 lakh man-days every year during the Left Front rule, but now no man-days are lost,” she added.

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She said the state has also readied a policy on grant of shale-gas exploration licences.

Banerjee added that by 2023, the state will join the national gas grid.

Though the chief minister did not name any central agency she made it obvious her apparent dig was in response to recent income tax raids and Enforcement Directorate actions against a number of top firms, drawing applause from a section of the industrialists present at the Summit.

She said the state has also readied a policy on grant of shale-gas exploration licences.

Banerjee added that by 2023, the state will join the national gas grid.

Though the chief minister did not name any central agency she made it obvious her apparent dig was in response to recent income tax raids and Enforcement Directorate actions against a number of top firms, drawing applause from a section of the industrialists present at the Summit.