West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee on Thursday said that Marxists were changing with the world and his government was open to all kinds of foreign and private investments to develop the infrastructure.
"We are Marxists, but we are not fools. We will not pursue obsolete ideas. Here (in West Bengal) Left is right," Bhattacharjee said at a Special Plenary Session on West Bengal at the Confederation of Indian Industry's Partnership Summit.
He said the state had approached the Centre for offering special incentives for setting up industries in six backward districts of North Bengal as were offered to the north-eastern states.
The state is also thinking of chalking out a plan for internationalisation of small businesses.
"We have approached the finance minister for incentives to boost investment in the six North Bengal districts that are industrially backward," the Chief Minister said.
Though there were tea gardens in two of these six districts, they were still backward in terms of industrialisation, he said, adding the geography was also similar to that of the north-eastern states.
"If incentives for setting up industries like excise and other tax concessions can be given to north-eastern states and Himachal Pradesh, why not for North Bengal districts?" he asked.
Bhattacharjee said that West Bengal did not have any policy to bring international investment into its small businesses.
"We are talking to big industrial houses to support the expansion of the small sector in machine tools and electronics through ancillarisation. We don't have a policy on attracting international investment for this and have to chalk out a plan."
However, of late, small Italian companies have shown interest in investing in the leather sector and three agreements have already been signed between the Indian and Italian businessmen. Italian companies, Bhattacharjee said, had also invested in the gem and jewellery park.
"Our government is now looking east and we are interested in doing business with other east and south-east Asian countries. We are in touch with the governments and companies from Singapore, Malayasia and Indonesia. Some companies from Singapore are already investing in Kolkata," he said.
To a query, he said there were shortcomings in the state's industrial and social infrastructure, but efforts were on to remove these.
"The power position is satisfactory though we have plans to step it up to meet future demand," he added.
Bhattacharjee said business with South Asian countries was increasing and the state would have to improve its ports, airports and roads for which it was ready to join any foreign investor.