Honesty is the best policy is a tired cliche but for West Bengal Chief Minister and CPM leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, it’s his brand new weapon.A weapon he used at the CII gathering here this morning hardselling his state to industrialists and prospective foreign investors.‘‘Yes, it’s true that we committed mistakes and have been irresponsible.You have heard of the word gherao, which means surrounding the management. Now it’s become part of the English-language dictionary, it’s our contribution,’’ he said, to a stunned audience which then broke into applause.On the contentious issue of foreign direct investment, he pointed out that there may be an argument on the three sectors of telecom, insurance and airports (his party opposes the proposals to raise the caps). ‘‘But the Congress-Left differences are being blown out of proportion,’’ he said. ‘‘We are looking for FDI, even 100 per cent FDI in some greenfield sectors. We already have so many foreign companies exploring investment possibilities. We have nothing against foreign direct investment. Bring me FDI in areas like floriculture, horticulture, agrotech, manufacturing.’’To reinforce his informal tone, his official speech was barely three minutes in which he invited investors from India and abroad and said the motto of his government, ‘‘Perform Or Perish.’’ But it was the open house in which India Inc saw thepersuasive Chief Minister. The first question was on ‘‘negative perception that continues to dog Bengal.’’ A mobile hardware entrepreneur wanted to know how he would deal with Monday’s Bengal bandh called by the Trinamool Congress. Things were changing, said Bhattacharjee, and in a democracy, he could not just ‘‘ban it,’’ he would ensure that public transport runs, government offices are open.The Chief Minister asked industrialists and ambassadors that questions related to setting up of units would be dealt with at the highest level, even by him ‘‘personally’’ if necessary. Bhattacharjee underlined how in new sectors like IT and IT-enabled services, not a single manday has been lost in recent times. The German Economic Councillor recalled his country’s association with Bengal since the 1860s when Siemens set up the telegraph service between Kolkata and London.An entrepreneur, S Banerjee, who had left Bengal during the days of unending bandhs and blue-collar violence of the ’70s, told the CM he was looking for land near Kolkata to set up a food-processing unit. ‘‘Please come back,’’ said Bhattacharjee.
