West Bengal Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul has claimed that the BJP government had fulfilled “43 per cent” of its election promises since coming to power in May.
Paul was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the CREDAI ‘Kolkata Techcon 2026’ in the state capital on Wednesday.
"Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has already fulfilled 43 per cent of promises made in the poll manifesto," she said, without elaborating.
Paul also expressed confidence that corporate investment in the state would increase. "The government is working on the ground for development, and we expect industries to come in a big way," she said.
State Industry Minister Tapas Roy had earlier said the government was likely to introduce separate policies for land and industry to attract investment. The proposed industry policy would also include measures to boost exports, he had said.
Paul outlined a vision for transforming Kolkata into a “thriving smart metropolis” and urged the real estate sector to contribute to the process.
She said West Bengal was seeing development in sectors including affordable housing, hospitality, warehousing and logistics.
The minister also called for greater use of modern construction technologies, including digital engineering and smart building solutions, to reduce costs and improve safety.
'Do not foresee any change in people's mindset'
Meanwhile, Paul also expressed confidence that the BJP would win the state's upcoming civic polls, saying voters could not be misled by controversies and misinformation as they understood the need for development.
"After a huge mandate (in Assembly polls), I do not foresee any change in people's mindset to have any other 'decision'. People may accuse, but they know it is only BJP who can bring development," she said.
Her remarks came amid a controversy over her interaction with a woman during an anti-encroachment drive on Park Street. Paul faced opposition criticism after questioning the woman about heating milk for her child on the roadside.
Paul later acknowledged that she may have spoken harshly and should perhaps have explained her position better. The minister, however, said she stood by her position on keeping footpaths clear and accused former chief minister Mamata Banerjee of politicising the episode.
"There can be mistakes while working. I have made a mistake... but I still stand by my position to keep the city clean," she said.
Referring to Banerjee's earlier remarks that mistakes can happen while working, Paul said the former chief minister should also have addressed issues faced by families affected by various incidents during her 15-year tenure.
Attacking Banerjee, Paul questioned why she had not extended support to such families with homes and referred to the Hanskhali and Kamduni cases. "You talk about adoption, but why didn't you adopt the family of the 14-year-old girl in Hanskhali?" Paul said.
She also questioned Banerjee's record on housing and referred to the cancellation of 26,000 jobs, alleging that the previous government had "destroyed generation after generation".
Paul said the BJP's focus was development and better civic services, arguing that the issue of footpath encroachment should be viewed in that context. She also defended the government's ward delimitation exercise ahead of the civic polls, rejecting opposition allegations that it was politically motivated.
"How can a councillor provide services effectively in a ward with a population of five lakh? We want smaller wards so that police and civic services can be provided properly. The delimitation work has begun with Kolkata and Howrah, and the process will be taken up in the remaining areas," she said.
In Kolkata, the number of wards will increase to 209 from 144, while in Howrah it will rise to 68 from the existing 50.
(With inputs from PTI)
