Your syndicate raj is responsible, not Centre: BJP's Sukanta Majumdar blames Mamata for industries leaving Bengal 

Union Minister of State and MP from Balurghat, Sukanta Majumdar, has rejected Trinamool Congress (TMC) allegations that the Centre is responsible for industries leaving West Bengal, saying the state’s industrial decline began decades ago and is rooted in poor law and order and a deep-rooted syndicate culture.

Speaking on a podcast with ANI's Smita Prakash, Majumdar responded to TMC claims that nearly 7,000 industries have left Bengal due to pressure from the Centre on industrialists and alleged denial of central funds. He said the problem predates the current dispensation. "Our decline in industrialisation began during the Left period,” he said.

He pointed out that in 1960–61, West Bengal contributed more than 10 per cent to India’s GDP and ranked third among states. “Today, our contribution is less than 5 per cent, and our position is 22nd. This is the reality,” he said.

Majumdar dismissed allegations that the Centre discourages investment in Bengal. “If we tell industrialists not to invest in Bengal, then why are industrialists going to Tamil Nadu?” he asked, noting that the Centre does not govern the state and that its ruling party is ideologically opposed. “Industrialists go where law and order is good,” he said.

He alleged that law and order in Bengal has collapsed due to syndicate operations. “If an industrialist goes to Bengal, the syndicate catches him. There is extortion,” Majumdar said. 

He claimed that even basic construction decisions—such as sourcing sand, cement or stone chips—are dictated by Trinamool-linked syndicates. “You cannot buy from outside. Will industries ever come in such a system?” he asked.

Majumdar said the syndicate culture has existed since the Left era and has now become a “vicious cycle”. “Because there are no jobs, people get into this,” he said, adding that a change in governance would need time. “Within 10 years, we will break this cycle. There will be job creation, industrialisation will follow, and it will grow together.”

He also flagged the absence of a land policy as a major hurdle to investment. “You cannot acquire land in West Bengal today. There is no land bank and no clear policy,” he said, adding that a different administration would introduce a single-window clearance system similar to Gujarat.

On leadership questions, Majumdar said governance does not depend on individual faces. “Wherever this model of governance is implemented, it runs on policy and principles,” he said, adding that regional parties function differently.

He cited states governed under this model to counter TMC claims on welfare delivery. Referring to Tripura, he said a girl child born in a BPL family receives a ₹500 bond, which grows to nearly ₹1 lakh by the age of 18. “She can use it for education, marriage or business,” he said.

Majumdar also compared Bengal with Assam, where the Arunodoy 3.0 scheme is implemented. “₹1,250 is given every month to nearly one crore women,” he said. In comparison, Bengal’s Lakshmir Bhandar also covers around one crore women, but Majumdar pointed out that Bengal has around four crore women. “Simple mathematics shows Assam is covering a much larger proportion of its women,” he said.

Criticising the Bengal Global Business Summit, Majumdar said the Chief Minister focuses on dole politics instead of serious investment. “At a global business summit, where industrialists who can invest ₹100 crore or ₹2,000 crore come, the Chief Minister talks about giving ₹1,000 and suggests women sell ghugni or chana chaat,” he said. “Is this sensible? What serious industrialist will come?”