KOLKATA: Bengal has set its sight on grabbing the No. 1 spot in industrial investment. The state’s ambitious target was announced by no other than its chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday.Addressing delegates at the concluding session of the Global Bengal Business Summit, the CM announced that the state had Rs 2,50,104 crore worth of proposals in hand. Out of this, manufacturing sector alone accounted for projects worth over Rs 1.16 lakh crore. It has also received other proposals in mining, textiles, power, IT & telecom, townships, transport, health and tourism.The summit attracted substantial investors with housing, townships and transport sector topped the list of investment proposals. The latter, led by the first anchor investment from China. State run Zhongtung Buses has signed a MoU for a joint venture with WBIDC for setting up an assembly unit at Bengal Aerotropolis Limited (BAPL) industrial park. WBIDC the nodal investment arm of the state will pick up 11% stake in the project. APL which has set up the first private sector greenfield airport in the country at Andal also received another boost with Druk Air planning to launch flight services between Durgapur, Kolkata, Bagdogra, Bhutan and Singapore. Exim Bank also signed an agreement with Bengal with the aim to promote the state’s role in operationalising the government’s Act East policy and internationalising some of its business across Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam.Another key project estimated to attract investment of Rs 5000 crore over the next 3 to 4 years is the proposed metro logistics hub to be set up by Calcutta Goods Transport Association. The latter is a registered body of transporters with 250 members. The logistics hub due to come up on 150 acre at Baidyabati promises to clear the city roads of congestion and minimise pollution by shifting the transport hub. The state’s finance and commerce & industries minister Amit Mitra said the project is likely to generate some 10,000 jobs.In the real estate sector, especially in the housing sector, the state bagged a number of proposals. Shapoorji Pallonji group in association with BAPL with set up a 2000 units for economically weaker sections (EWS) in Durgapur. While the government’s affordable housing projects gets underway West Bengal is emerging as a key beneficiary. The venture hopes to scale up the project to 30,000 units in future. The SP group is also setting up 4000 units in Kolkata West.In mining sector, public sector KIOCL (Kudremukh Iron Ore Company) has joined hands with West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation. The two partners will set up an Rs 850 crore venture for exploration, extraction and beneficiation of iron ore for the first time in the state.The state also attracted quite a few projects in the area of IT and smart city initiative. Hidco entered into an agreement with Bosch of Germany for help on crowdsourcing technology of traffic. HP Enterprises the US tech giant also signed up with Hidco for setting up two telemedicine centres on a pilot basis. An MoU between Webel and the National Institute of Electronics ad IT will help in training and industrial readiness of 2 lakh youth over 3 academic years, while another MoU between the Agriculture department of the state and Dynamic Fortune Consultancy will help Bengal farmers get the best possible price for two of the state’s best quality rice Gobindo Bhog and Badshah Bhog.The CM, on her part, assured industrialists of land availability adding that the state had created a land bank of one lakh acre which can be utilised to set up new projects. The next GBBS will be held on January 20 and 21, 2017. She also highlighted the state’s achievements in social –economic development where 90% of government assistance reaches the people at grassroots level. Not a single man day was lost in Bengal in last few years, the CM said underlining her government’s resolve to promote and foster industrial harmony. “My government will not harass any industry. If problems crop up we can always negotiate and sort it out amicably. Our aim is to make Bengal the no. 1 industrial destination. Let us work together, she told industry representative and delegates at the summit.