Date:12/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/12/stories/2006051206581400.htm

National

A vote for development, says Buddhadeb

Special Correspondent

"Our responsibilities have increased"

Verdict a mandate for greater industrialisation
Consolidating success in agriculture, improving conditions of below poverty line people also important

No differences in CPI(M) over economic measures

Kolkata: The Left Front victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections was "a decisive one with a clear verdict to improve our performance in formulating and implementing our economic policies for greater development in the State," said Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Thursday.

"Our responsibilities have increased with this victory. The work ahead of us will have to be taken up with greater seriousness and we will have to ensure greater success," he told a press conference here after the announcement of the results.

On whether the verdict was a mandate for his policy for greater industrialisation, he said, "Of course ... We have started on [this policy of] greater industrialisation but there is need for more investment."

Historically inevitable

"Socialism, I believe, is historically inevitable but in the present situation we can't build it. Therefore, if we are to develop we need investments and have to invite private capital [for the purpose]. There is no alternative to this at this moment," he said.

The priorities of Mr. Bhattacharjee's next government would be to "consolidate success in agriculture, accelerate growth in industry through greater investment and improve the conditions of people living below the poverty line." He would also be laying emphasis on improving the "work culture."

"Though there has been some changes [in attitude towards work] in the major departments and work dynamism has increased, we cannot claim that it has reached all places."

Mr. Bhattacharjee promised new faces in the next Cabinet, but declined to divulge details.

He would also be trying to establish a consensus within the Communist Party of India (Marxist), within which "debates on various issues was only a natural and healthy" sign. He said there was "no problem within the party" regarding his policies on industrialisation as was being said by some.

`Good for people'

If "liberalisation meant a hire and fire policy for workers and the privatisation of all government undertakings, then we oppose it," he said. "But there is also need for reform, a change from old ideas to new ones which were good for the people."