The next edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) will be held on April 20 and 21 next year, state chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi announced on Monday evening at a festive season get-together after chief minister Mamata Banerjee asked him to formally declare the dates for the business conclave.
“We could not hold the business summit for two years because of Covid.… But we are going to hold it soon on a much bigger scale and I would request the chief secretary to announce the dates,” Mamata said at the get-together attended by industrialists and representatives of the diplomatic corps in Calcutta.
Dwivedi announced the dates for the business conclave that the state government wants to organise on a big scale with participation of representatives from across the globe, especially the developed world, as part of its plan to attract investments in Bengal.
That the state government is looking for international participation became clear during the chief minister’s address when she sought governor Jagdeep Dhankhar’s support to make the next edition of the BGBS a success.“To make the event successful, we have to do a lot of preparations, for which the officials have to go abroad to approach the countries for participation and investments.… If you can go to one country, we will be grateful. Earlier we had visited countries like Italy, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands.… I have to go somewhere, and if you can also go somewhere, it will be very helpful,” Mamata said, with Dhankhar sitting next to her.
Jagdeep Dhankhar. File photo
The chief minister’s request to Dhankhar assumes significance against the backdrop of a taut relationship between Nabanna and Raj Bhavan since his appointment as the governor in July 2019. While Dhankhar has been a fierce critic of the state government and most of its initiatives, scores of Trinamul leaders had called him a BJP stooge.
Giving a clear signal that he was keen to bury the past bitterness, Dhankhar promised his best efforts for the conclave. “Everyone, including the first citizen, which I am, should come forward to make the BGBS a success. I can assure you all, particularly the chief minister, I will leave nothing undone.… This will give me an occasion and opportunity to serve the people of Bengal to the best of my ability,” the governor said.
“We have to believe in oneness of each other.… We have to ensure there is no room for conflict, there is no room for adversarial situations. There is only one way, togetherness,” Dhankhar added, signalling his intent in scripting a new chapter in the Nabanna-Raj Bhavan relationship.
Sources in Trinamul said that the chief minister’s request to Dhankhar to visit a country to ensure its participation in the BGBS is a smart move in view of her recent experience while seeking the Centre’s nod for visits abroad.
“The Centre didn’t allow her to visit Italy to attend a global peace conference in October.… Earlier, they didn’t allow her to visit China. It’s a smart move on her part to take the governor on board while planning trips abroad for the BGBS,” said a source.
The Bengal government has already begun planning for next year’s BGBS as the task force under the state industrial promotion board has been constituted. “The task force is expected to lay the groundwork to make the BGBS a success,” said a source.
