Ahead of the BJP-led Bengal government’s budget later this month, industry bodies have sought a wide-ranging package of tax incentives, land reforms and infrastructure upgrades to improve the state’s investment climate, accelerate industrialisation and enhance ease of doing business.
During a pre-budget consultation chaired by additional chief secretary (finance) Prabhat Kumar Mishra, representatives of industry associations — including Credai, Assocham, CII, Bharat Chamber of Commerce, Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I), and Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce & Industry — called for faster approvals, stronger incentives and improved infrastructure to attract fresh investments.
Among the key tax-related demands, Bharat Chamber of Commerce sought time-bound processing of GST refunds and adjudication proceedings, with internal timelines monitored by the government. It also proposed automatic escalation of refund claims pending beyond prescribed deadlines to supervisory authorities.
On the industrial front, the chamber urged the government to ensure the timely disbursal of committed incentives and introduce a comprehensive incentive framework covering both MSMEs and large industries. It also sought targeted support for logistics parks, warehousing, cold-chain infrastructure, inland container depots, river transport logistics, data centres, Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and IT/ITES activities.
Real estate developers’ body Credai renewed its demand for easing provisions under the Urban Land Ceiling framework, arguing that it would facilitate large housing projects, townships, industrial hubs and IT parks while attracting foreign investment and generating employment. It also flagged issues such as the correction of urban land-barga records, a township and land-pooling policy, and a slum and housing redevelopment framework.
BCC&I proposed a calibrated reimbursement of state GST to balance industrial promotion with fiscal constraints. It suggested partial SGST reimbursement, supplemented by incentives linked to incremental turnover from the second year of operations.
The chamber also advocated a comprehensive strategy to transform Haldia into a major industrial and petrochemicals hub through improved multimodal connectivity with Calcutta, faster clearances through industrial-zone notification, and enhanced port and jetty infrastructure. It further sought a dedicated GCC policy featuring capital subsidies, payroll-linked incentives, rental support, concessional land allotment, power-duty exemptions, R&D incentives, skilling programmes and single-window approvals.
The Merchants’ Chamber called for inclusion of Bengal in national industrial corridor initiatives, a GIS-enabled industrial land bank, plug-and-play industrial parks, end-to-end digital clearances and cluster-specific skill development programmes. Suggestions were made for the development of three flagship manufacturing clusters — the Haldia-Calcutta corridor, Durgapur-Asansol corridor and the Siliguri logistics gateway — along with a manufacturing readiness dashboard to track key performance indicators..
