Kolkata, Feb 4: According to a study by Assocham Investment Meter, despite sharp ups and downs during the last one year Bengal has received the highest number of investment proposals among all the States in the third quarter of current fiscal. A total of Rs. 1,273.02 billion investments have been received in the State.

‘Brand Buddha is actually the cause behind this growth and industrialisation is happening very fast in the State,’ said Assocham President Venugopal Dhoot in an interview.

According to Dhoot investment of Rs. 2000 billion in coming five years would generate jobs for at least 1 to 1.5 million people in the State. He also admitted that Nandigram impasse did not reflect much on the State’s investment fate.

The Assocham study also revealed that during the same period Orissa was second in the investment list after Bengal. Orissa has received proposals of about Rs. 539.97 billion, Maharashtra has received investment proposals of Rs. 473.93 billion and Andhra Pradesh for Rs. 216.6 billion.

Dhoot said that West Bengal had been receiving investment proposals mainly in steel, power and cement.

He said that 10 billion Jindal Steel Project, which is apparently the biggest steel factory in Asia, is coming up at Shalboni which would create a massive job opportunity in the State. He also added that his company Videocon is also coming up in the state.

Amidst all these ‘Pros’ for the state there are ‘cons’ too. Many investors are still not very happy with the political structure and work culture of the state. Lacking work culture is affecting the IT industry in the State.

The CEO of Limtex Infotech, Gunjan Poddar said that despite superb workforce and cheap labour the Bandh culture of the state had been affecting the IT industry very much. (ANI)