West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday, 5 November 2026, issued a sharp warning against extortion and militant trade unionism targeting industrial units, pledging instant arrests under the state's newly unveiled industrial policy. The announcement, made in Kolkata, signals a decisive effort by the new government to overhaul West Bengal's investment climate.

Helpline and 15-Minute Action Promise

Chief Minister Adhikari announced a dedicated helpline for investors to report extortion attempts, committing to action within a strict timeframe. "There is a dedicated helpline number for registering complaints on extortion. I am requesting the investors to register their complaints on that helpline number. I assure that action will be taken within 15 minutes from the time the complaint is registered and the perpetrators will be dealt with strictly as per legal provisions," he said.

This rapid-response mechanism is intended to give investors on-ground confidence that complaints will not languish in bureaucratic delays — a persistent grievance historically associated with doing business in the state.

Zero Tolerance for Militant Trade Unionism

Adhikari also drew a hard line against illegal work stoppages in factories. "I will not allow any attempt at unnecessary cease-work at any industrial unit. Those who will try to do so will be put in jail. I will ensure that they will stay in jail for a long time. If there is any complaint against any management, there is a proper way to address that by approaching the labour commission," he said.

The remarks are notable given West Bengal's historical association with labour unrest that critics have long argued drove away industrial investment. By explicitly naming the labour commission as the legitimate grievance channel, Adhikari sought to distinguish legal worker rights from what he characterised as coercive disruption.

Sharp Attack on the Previous TMC Government

The Chief Minister launched a pointed critique of the Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government's record on investment attraction, specifically targeting the annual Bengal Global Business Summit.

"Over ₹650 crore was spent in organising eight such summits. The previous government claimed that memoranda of understanding worth ₹16 lakh crore were signed in these eight summits. But ultimately nothing fructified. The previous government even showed infrastructure development projects as proposed investments," Adhikari alleged.

The charge that signed MoUs failed to translate into actual investment has been a recurring criticism of the Bengal summit model — not unique to West Bengal, but politically potent here given the scale of the figures involved.

Revenue Recovery and Governance Claims

Adhikari claimed that the state's fiscal position has begun to improve under his administration, attributing the turnaround to tighter revenue collection. He alleged that the previous regime's patronage of corruption had caused severe losses to the state exchequer.

"However, things have started improving in the first six months of our new government. The state's revenue has increased according to the respective periods of the two financial years from April to September 2025 and from April to October 2026," he said, adding that revenue collection has risen by ₹4,000 crore compared to the same period last year.

He framed the broader goal as one of creating a stable investment environment. "Our goal is to increase the state's own tax revenue by stopping money laundering and extortion and create an environment for investment in industry," the Chief Minister added.

What Comes Next

The new industrial policy, backed by these enforcement commitments, will be watched closely by industry bodies and prospective investors eyeing eastern India as a manufacturing destination. Whether the helpline mechanism and anti-extortion pledges translate into measurable improvements on the ground will determine the policy's credibility — and West Bengal's ability to compete with industrially active states for fresh capital.