State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Saturday met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman at her Delhi residence and discussed ways to boost Bengal’s economy, with particular focus on industrialisation and immediate steps to start production at the Ashoknagar oilfield in North 24-Parganas.
The Ashoknagar oilfield is a petroleum and natural gas extraction site located about 48km from Calcutta. Discovered by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in 2018, it is the first oil and gas-producing field in eastern India. Estimates say the basin contains reserves of over 240 million barrels of oil.
Bhattacharya’s plea regarding the oilfield is significant at a time when the country is concerned about fuel supply disruption following the US-Iran conflict.
Although drilling at the site had started, it was stopped months before the Assembly elections because of local disputes. A source said that as the BJP had come to power in the state, the ONGC would have no issue executing its work.
“The Prime Minister has spoken about building a ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal). We have a vision and a specific plan for it. Nirmalaji is aware of how a path can be shown towards the economic recovery of the state, where industries have been virtually destroyed,” said Bhattacharya, a Rajya Sabha member.
Bhattacharya’s meeting with Sitharaman assumes significance after chief minister Suvendu Adhikari called on both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, along with other high-profile personalities, in Delhi on Thursday to discuss several issues and plans for Bengal.
The state BJP chief claimed that Bengal would shine once again with joint efforts by the central government and its various departments.
“She (Sitharaman) believes that it is possible to overcome these conditions and restore Bengal from its present impoverished state. For that, she will do whatever is necessary. And together — the Prime Minister, the finance minister, the home minister, and all of us — we can undoubtedly take Bengal to a different and better place,” he added.
Before the Assembly elections, the BJP had promised to offer a different Bengal with industries, jobs, and the overall development of the state through the efforts of a “double-engine” government. After coming to power, the BJP understood that Bengal’s economic revival could be ensured only if the central government offered full-fledged support.
“The doubling of the monthly dole under Annapurna Yojana, compared to the existing Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, will impose an additional burden on the exchequer. The state government needs to open avenues for continuous recruitment to vacant government posts, besides setting up industries. Therefore, funds under different schemes from the Union government will play a pivotal role in the development of the state,” said a source.
Bhattacharya also agreed that Bengal’s exchequer was in poor shape and the state needed robust industrialisation to stand alongside other developed states.
“Over the past 50 years, the industry in Bengal has been virtually destroyed. Bengal has now turned into a state of migrants. The per capita income has fallen to one of the lowest levels. We have to come out of this situation. We must stand alongside Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu,” he added.
