Nobel laureate and eminent economist Amartya Sen has accused the Left party of ruining industrial development in the state of West Bengal. Indicating the failures of the Left government in the state, Amartya Sen said that after destroying the economy, the party was now trying to regain its foothold in the state ahead of the 2016 Assembly elections.

While delivering a lecture on 'Shishu Swasthya: Nana dik, nana mot, nana kaaj (Child Health: Various paths, various views, various acts) at a college in Santiniketan in Bolpur in Birbhum district, the economist tore into the Left wing for its poor performance in the economic sector during its 34-years of regime. Sen questioned the party's thinking in vital issues by saying that the party failed to apply basic reasoning in its decisions during policy formulation.

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"The Left has played a major role in destroying industrialisation in Bengal. We must accept that. Only when they decided that policies must be changed, the people decided to change the government instead. I think there is some problem in the way with which the Left party thinks over an issue," Sen said.

Sen also said that it was during the Left regime that investments abandoned the state, agricultural development declined and Bengal got ruined.

Citing an example, Sen said that earlier, there would be 18 flights from Kolkata to London in a week.

"Bengal once had a lot of businesses at one point of time. For instance, there used to be 18 flights a week to London. Perhaps, why we used to have so many visitors coming down on a regular basis," Amartya Sen said.

On the Left's criticism of the state government, Amartya Sen said that it was important to discuss solutions to problems and issues rather than indulging in a blame game.

"They are now criticising. It is okay to criticise but before above that, it is more important to figure out what we must do. It is necessary to understand what is lacking in the government and what the people are demanding," Sen said.

Sen usually visits Santiniketan during winters to spend some time in Vishwabharati University which also happens to be one of his favourites.