West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday apologised to India's top industrialists for the "financial mismanagement" witnessed during the Left Front regime and urged them to invest in the state.

"Don't look at the past, it is gone. We are really sorry for that and I apologise for that. Whatever happened is not good. But let us think for today and work for tomorrow," Mamata said in her closing address at the two-day Bengal Global Business Summit in Kolkata.

"I apologise for the past because of financial indiscipline... The Central government took away Rs 21,000 crores in my first year as debt and Rs 25,000 crores last year. This year they will take Rs 28,000 crores. If they take away all my money because of the earlier government, how can I work for the people?" she said.

In a press conference later, the Trinamool Congress chief clarified that the apology was for the financial mismanagement of the erstwhile Left Front government. "We have to carry the legacy of the previous government. It's because of their financial indiscipline and no plan of action that we have to suffer. Because of the huge financial burden, we are constrained in helping out the industry. So I apologise to the industry for the deeds of the past government," Mamata told reporters.

At the summit, Mamata announced that West Bengal has received Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and Expression of Interest (EOI) worth over Rs two lakh forty thousand crores. "This is marvelous. I touch your feet. I salute you," she told the gathering of industrialists from across the world.

Asked how much of these MOUs would turn into real investments, state finance minister Dr Amit Mitra said, "These are all on paper sanctioned by the government. That's why the optimism. All of it will fructify."

"We have just concluded a historic #BengalGlobalSummit. In the last two days we finalised proposals worth Rs 2.4 lakh crore," Mamata said on Twitter. "Thank you all international & national delegates, captains of Industry and the representatives of Core Committees of diff sectors in Bengal," she said.