Jamshedpur, June 10: The Jharkhand state government is waiting for a nod from its West Bengal counterpart to a request for an allocation of a piece of land.
Official sources said chief minister Arjun Munda has recently, in a letter, requested the West Bengal government to allot a piece of land. The Jharkhand government is keen to set up an office there to give a fillip to the state?s tourism and industry prospects.
?The Jharkhand office in Calcutta would be used for wooing and liaisoning with people interested in Jharkhand?s tourism and industry,? a senior official of the chief minister?s office (CMO) stated.
?Calcutta is the gateway to the eastern part of the country. Moreover, the city is economically jiving as well. Our intention is to keep a liaisoning officer posted in the city to promote tourism and industry,? sources said.
?Some of Jharkhand?s tourist spots are as fascinating. Unfortunately, they never come under the limelight. The officers in Calcutta will help in promoting them as there is a constant flow of investors in Calcutta,? the official sources also informed.
Munda, while speaking to The Telegraph, admitted that he has written a letter to the West Bengal government. ?We want to set up an office in Calcutta for the future prospects of our own state,? the chief minister said but refused divulge the details as the project is still in a nascent stage.
Interestingly, Munda?s request comes at a point when the Jharkhand chief minister himself is uncertain about conceding to the West Bengal chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee?s, appeal of allowing the Jindals of taking iron ore from Jharkhand. The iron ore would be used for a proposed steel unit, which the Jindals are planning in West Bengal.
Under such circumstances, will Bengal actually consider Jharkhand?s proposal? ?If Jharkhand is not ready to help West Bengal, why should West Bengal show interest in Jharkhand?s needs,? questioned some officials.
But sources in the CMO defended Jharkhand?s reluctance, which they said was a policy decision to encourage value addition of the minerals mined in the state.
