New Delhi, Nov. 30: Bengal needs to scrap the urban land ceiling act, reform the rent control act and build better road networks to become a major retail hub, says global management consultants AT Kearney.

The report says the Bengal government needs to “immediately repeal its Urban Land Ceiling and Regulation Act and introduce reforms in the rent control act to match the one recommended by the Centre”.

Among the “initiatives” to facilitate the growth of the retail sector, the report emphasises the need to develop utility services. Rural areas lack electrification and teledensity is also low. Bengal needs to expand telecom services to these parts.

The report states that Bengal has the best cold chain network in the country, but the road network density is low and needs to be increased to make all parts of the state accessible.

On the human resource development front, the report recommends that the state sets up more institutions offering retail-related curriculum to create a pool of trained retail executives within the state.

“At the same time, the state government should make labour laws more employer-friendly,” the report states.

The Centre also has to grant industry status to the retail sector and reduce licence requirements for the state to a moderate level. It needs to develop a national consumer confidence index similar to that used in the US, China or Brazil.