Infrastructure in West Bengal

West Bengal is one state that is running both ways. There has been lots of improvement in the last few years in the state. Be it IT, Incubation Centers & Venture Capital Funding, on road & off road communications, Real Estate development ; name and it is there. The New Town concept in Rajarhat area has shaped up really well. Hundreds of new constructions, new investments, new business developments have taken place in the last few years.

Though a late-starter, the state has achieved a lot in the field of IT and electronics in the last couple of years. The proactive policies of the state government—a dedicated department for IT, state-of-the-art facilities, world-class connectivity, uninterrupted power supply, physical and social infrastructure and a large pool of trained manpower—have hastened the growth of the IT sector in the state. Kolkata is also well connected to international destinations in Asia, Europe and the US.

The high investments in power generation over the last ten years have made West Bengal one of the few power-surplus states in India. In fact, in their recent surveys, both Nasscom and Gartner have ranked West Bengal as the best state in the country in terms of power supply. The high percentage of thermal power ensures that supply is not adversely affected during the dry season. In addition, the state government ensures the existing low-cost power plants in West Bengal feed all new IT units on a priority basis. Kolkata is well connected to prime locations overseas and in India. These include the prime Asian hubs of Bangkok and Singapore, as well as key Western locations like London, Amsterdam, San Francisco and New York. The city is also well connected to important locations within the country.

Apart from world-class infrastructure, connectivity and social infrastructure, the state has the largest pool of human resources. The city houses some of the most reputed schools and colleges in the country. Both Calcutta and Jadavpur Universities have been accorded a 5-star status by NAAC. Several private engineering colleges have been set up in the city, churning out engineers and technocrats.

But despite the changes, the perception about the ‘laid back attitude’ of the state still remains a major hurdle in attracting fresh investments. While it is partly due to its history, lack of information about the progressive work being undertaken in the state also adds to this negative image. Bengal has a lot of active politics going on. Everyday rallies and meetings, the very often bandhs (which WB is famous for) and many other factors add up to a lot of congestion in town. The city to have the first metro rail in India is definitely top notch when it comes to communication linkages but ask any resident of Kolkata and they would tell you - which traffic jams, shabby traffic structure & cleanliness are some of the major everyday problems which add on to the already laid back attitude and rigid bureaucracies of the state. It is these factors that are marring the fabulous infrastructure plans that WB started with a decade ago. There is a lot that people everywhere complain about; be it any state. In this case, it is not only the facilities which have failed to entice, but also the new name – Pochimbongo J

- - Ayush Nalotia

References:

Planning Commission, Express Computer Online