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Area : 88,752 sq km
Population : 80,176,197
Capital : Kolkata
Principal Languages : Bengali
The State of Bengal finds a
coveted place, even in pre-historic times. At
the time of Alexander's invasion, a powerful
kingdom called Gangaridai ruled over Bengal.
Ascendancy of the Guptas and the Mauryas had
somewhat little effect on Bengal. Later, Sasanka
became King of Bengal, and is said to have
played an important role in north-eastern India
in the early half of the seventh century. He was
succeeded by Gopala, who founded the Pala
dynasty, which ruled for centuries and had
created a huge empire. The Palas were followed
by the Sena dynasty, which was ended by Muslim
rulers from Delhi. Bengal was ruled by various
Muslim rulers and governors till the Mughal
period in sixteenth century.
After the Mughals, history of modern Bengal
began with the advent of European and English
trading companies. Battle of Plassey in 1757
changed the course of history, when the English
first gained a strong foothold in Bengal and
India. In 1905, it was partitioned to achieve
some political returns but people’s growing
movement under the of Congress led to the
reunion in 1911. This triggered off hectic
movement for freedom, which culminated with
Independence in 1947, and the partition
thereafter.
After 1947, the merger of native settlement
began, which ended with its final reorganisation
in 1956 (as per Recommendations of the States
Reorganisation Act, 1956), when some Bengali
speaking areas of a neighbouring state were
transferred to West Bengal.
The land frontier of the State touches
Bangladesh in the east, and is separated from
Nepal in the west. Bhutan lies in the
north-east, while Sikkim is on the north. On the
west are the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, while
in the south lies Orissa, and the Bay of Bengal,
washing its southern frontiers.
Agriculture
plays a pivotal role in the State’s economy and
nearly three out of every four persons are
directly or indirectly involved in agriculture.
The total food production in the State in
2004-05, was 16107.2 thousand tonnes. During
2004-05, the production of rice was 14884.9
thousand tonnes, of wheat 841.5 thousand tonnes
and of pulses 167.3 thousand tonnes
respectively. The production of oilseeds during
the same period was 556.8 thousand tonnes and of
potato 7106.6 thousand tonnes. The production of
jute was 7853.2 thousand bales in 2004-05.
In 2005
the number of approved industrial proposals in
the State was provisionally estimated to be 386
with a total investment of Rs 17968.41 crore. In
this period from 1991 to 2004, approved
industrial investment proposals received by the
State were 4029 involving a total investment of
Rs. 75720.59 crore.
In the period from 1991 to 2004, 991 projects
with a total investment of Rs. 26680.14 crore
were implemented. In 2005, according to the
available information, 161 projects with a total
investment of Rs. 1914.72 crore were implemented
in the State. On 31 December 2005, 65 major
projects (projects with investment over Rs. 25
crore) with a total investment of Rs. 8987 crore
under implementation in West Bengal.
The largest number of major projects under
construction is located in Burdwan followed by
Purba Medinipur. In the industrially backward
district of Bankura, 7 major industrial projects
are coming up. Six of these are in the iron and
steel industry and the other is a cement unit.
In Purulia, another industrially backward
district, 5 major projects are under
construction. The four projects are in the iron
and steel industry and the other is a cement
unit.
While industrial investment has been
increasing specially from the beginning of this
decade, the employment potential of most units
is much lower than the old labour intensive
units in existence in the State. In these
circumstances the need is to increase manifold
industrial investment in the State. The State
Government has been able to overcome the earlier
misgivings of investors in investing in a State
under a pro-labour government.
In conjunction with practical measures to
sustain investors' confidence, the State
government has set in place a number of policy
initiatives. The State government has
promulgated in quick succession a Bio-technology
Policy, Mines and Mineral Policy, Information
Technology Policy and Policy for IT enabled
services.
The State Government has also been the first
State Government in India to formulate an act on
Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The first
sector-specific SEZ in India, Manikanchan Gem
and Jewelry Park, has already become operational
in the State.
The signing of South Asian Free Trade Area
(SAFTA) agreement on 18 January 2006 would
provide opportunities as well as challenges to
West Bengal, one of the border states in India.
The objective of SAFTA is to reduce existing
tariffs to less than five per cent within a time
frame so as to increase trade among SAARC
countries. operational in the State.
The State is perhaps one of the few states in
India with surplus power. The State Government
has taken up a programme to maintain this
surplus situation in the coming years. In
addition to increasing significantly the
installed power generation capacity, the State
government is also implementing a number of
schemes for improving and extending the
transmission and distribution network.
The State Government has also been improving
the physical and social infrastructure in the
state especially in urban areas. It has also
been trying to improve the road connectivity in
the State by constructing new roads or improving
and strengthening the existing road network. The
1600 crore Kolkata megacity Programme is being
implemented by the Kolkata Metropolitan
Development Authority (KMDA). Under the
programme a total of 130 schemes weight a total
cost of Rs. 1267.33 crore in various sectors
like water supply, traffic and transportation,
sewerage and drainage, solid waste management,
housing and area development, commercial
complex, busted improvement, environment
improvement were taken up. The Kolkata
Improvement Trust (KIT) also implements schemes
under Kolkata Megacity Programme (KMP). The
Howrah Improvement Trust (HIT) is also
implementing schemes under KMP. Under KMP 1,768
km of eastern drainage channel at Salt Lake has
been re-excavated. The most important
infrastructural project being implemented in the
State is the Rajarhat New Town Project covering
an area of 3075 hectares in the north eastern
fringe of Kolkata. Land acquisition and
development have been completed in Action Area-I
covering 660 hectares. In action Area II
covering an area of 1050 hectares, land filling
is in progress.
The Development Authorities formed to develop
different ubran areas in the State are also
implementing large number of schemes. The West
Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development
Corporation (WBIIDC) is the nodal state level
agency for developing infrastructure
specifically for the industrial sector, WBIIDC
has so far developed 12 growth centres
(industrial estates) located at Kalyani
(Phase-I, II & III), Falta, Uluberia,
Bishnupur, Raninagar, Cooch Behar, Malda,
Dabgram, Haldia and Kharagpur. The West Bengal
Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), the
prime agency in the state for promoting
industries has in recent years been increasingly
involved in developing infrastructure for the
industry sector. With investment flow no longer
a problem, WBIDC's promotional activities could
best be supplemented by providing state of the
art industry specific 'parks' to investors.
The IT Department of the State Government is
the prime agency for promoting IT industry in
the state. Within a short time the IT industry
has achieved significant growth. At present
total export earning of IT companies located in
Software Technology Park (STP) is Rs. 2000
crore. Presently 180 IT and 55 ITes companies
are operating in Kolkata providing employment to
35000 professionals. The Food Processing
Industries and Horticulture Department of the
State Government Promotes food processing
industries in the State. The department has been
trying to motivate small entrepreneurs to invest
in the food processing industry. To reiterate it
sets up food parks, perishable goods cargo
complexes, quality control laboratories,
etc.
Irrigation potential created in
the State through major and medium irrigation
projects in 2004-05 was provisionally estimated
at 1554.71 thousand hectares. At present only
two major irrigation projects. Teesta Barriage
Projects (TBP) and Sabarnarekha Barrage Project
(SBP) are being implemented in the State. In
both these projects the State is facing a number
of constraints. As a result of these constraints
only 22,245 thousand hectares of irrigation
potential could be created in the first three
years of the 10th plan in 2002-03 to 2004-05. It
is anticipated that 10,000 hectares in 2005-06
and in 2006-07 15,000 hectares of irrigation
potential will be created. So that total
irrigation potential created during the 10th
Plan would be nearly 37 thousand hectares.
Currently nine medium irrigation schemes in
the district of Puralia are continuing. A total
of 12.41 thousand hectares of irrigation
potential have been created through medium
irrigation schemes in the first three years of
the 10th plan.
Power in West Bengal is currently generated
by the West Bengal Power Development Corporation
Limited, West Bengal State Electricity Board,
Calcutta Electricity Supply Corporation,
Durgapur Project Limited, Disergarh Power Supply
Corporation etc. Total generation of power
produced by the State agencies was 17115 MU in
2005-06 (upto April to November 2005). The total
number of moujas electrified during 2005-06
(upto November 2005) is 32552 and the total
number of pump sets energised is 1,13,759.
Roads :
The
length of roads under state highways is 3,354
km, under PWD 12,288 km, and that of the
district roads is 41,278 km respectively.
Railways : Howrah,
Asansol, Sealdah, Bandel, Bardhaman, Kharagpur
and New Jalpaiguri are the main junctions in
West Bengal.
Durga Puja is the most important
festival along with Kali Puja or
Diwali besides Vasant Panchami,
Lakshmi Puja, Holi, Sivaratri, Janmasthami,
Id-ul-Fitr, etc.
Important tourist centres are, among
others Kolkata, Digha (Midnapore), Bakkhali Sea
Resort, Sagar Island and Sundarbans (South
24-Parganas), Bandel, Tarakeswar, Kamarpukur
(Hooghly), Gadiara (Howrah), Shantiniketan and
Bakreshwar (Birbhum), Durgapur (Burdwan),
Mukutmanipur and Vishnupur (Bankura), Ayodhya
Hills (Purulia), Murshidabad, Gour and Pandua
(Malda), Darjeeling, Mirik, Kalimpong, Sandakfu
and Falut and Kurseong (Darjeeling), Jaldapara
and Dooars (Jalpaiguri).
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