Siliguri: The Synergy business meet in Siliguri involving businesses from eight North Bengal districts has seen a spate of new projects being launched and new investments announced.
Chairing the meeting, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee virtually inaugurated quite a few projects from Synergy itself.
This includes a skywalk built for Rs 5 crore at Jalpesh Mandir entry in Jalpaiguri, a private residential school in Siliguri, as well as four industrial parks in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar built under the aegis of West Bengal SME Development Council.
In addition, the CM also inaugurated the WEBEL IT park in Siliguri as part of the Rs 100 crore IT cluster.
After the resounding success of BGBS 2025, I was delighted to participate in the North Bengal Business Meet 2025 today. The event brought together business leaders, industry experts, local entrepreneurs, and representatives from small and medium enterprises. As the gateway to the… pic.twitter.com/4vROdx3sak
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 19, 2025
With Digha becoming even more popular after the Jagannath temple, direct AC bus services too were launched from six North Bengal towns, including Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Raiganj and Malda.
A spate of future projects was announced by Synergy. An international standard business convention centre like the ones in New Town and Digha will come up in Siliguri.
From the meeting itself, the CM identified 10 acres of land opposite the Secretariat Uttarayan for this business convention centre that would include hotels too.
Another 5 acres of land near Uttarayan was earmarked for an industrial park or other means of livelihood.
Another industrial park would come up in Cooch Behar too. Hotels would be built on four acres of land opposite Bagdogra Airport.
Quite a few district trade bodies registered complaints about local challenges. Cooch Behar traders are facing exorbitant charges for procuring trade licenses, mutation and conservancy feewd. The Chief Secretary was asked to reduce this immediately.
There was an announcement to revive the tea sector, too. Impressed by the proposal of the owner of a tea production company, the CM has instructed all tea garden owners to deliberate on the best practices suggested.
With impure tea coming from another country harming the reputation of Darjeeling tea, a laboratory is being set up to check the quality of that tea once it enters the state.
The CM has also instructed the withdrawal of the agricultural marketing tax on makhana at the request of the traders from Malda.
