The Hindu : WB to harness prospects in service sector

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 10, 2002

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WB to harness prospects in service sector

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLKATA APRIL 9. The President of the Confederation of Indian Industry, Sanjiv Goenka, today ruled out any negative impact of Gujarat violence on foreign investments in the country. He, however, agreed that the prospects of the State might be affected.

Talking to newspersons on the sidelines of a seminar-cum-exhibition on the Emergent opportunities in the services sector, organised by the CII, Mr. Goenka said, "any happening in that State (Gujarat) will have an impact on investments. However, it will be confined to that State only.''

Earlier addressing the seminar, the West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, said following the recommendations of a taskforce on the services sector in 1999, the State Government was paying increasing attention on this sector. "We have taken up the task of remodelling the commerce wing of our Commerce and Industries Department to harness the growth prospects.The commerce wing is interacting with those engaged in the services sector and is coming out with strategies specific to the growth of the sector.''

Mr. Bhattacharjee said the Government, to this effect, had already zeroed in on the retailing sector.

"Worldwide retail is always the largest source of employment in the private sector and I believe that a well developed retail industry can absorb 8 to 10 per cent of the total workforce in any State.''

He said the State had decided to set up a National Institute of Medical Science and Technology in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

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