West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday, 17 July declared that any hooliganism or extortion targeting industrialists and investors in the state will be met with swift and severe police action, as his government has adopted a 'zero tolerance' policy against activities that could undermine investor confidence. The declaration came at the inauguration of a ₹15,000 crore steel plant expansion at Mejia in Bankura district.

New Law to Protect Investors

Chief Minister Adhikari cited the newly enacted West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026 as the legislative backbone of his government's industrial security drive. Under this law, anyone who locks a factory gate will face imprisonment, and those who damage factory property will be liable to pay three times the value of the loss incurred.

'Henceforth, if anyone or any group locks the factory gate, their place will be behind the bars. If they come to the factory and break the gate, three times of the loss amount will be recovered from those who would resort to such hooliganism. No syndicate, no extortion... We are adopting a zero-tolerance policy on this count,' Adhikari said at the event.

A Distinct Land Procurement Approach

Adhikari also drew a sharp contrast between his government's land acquisition model and those of its predecessors. He criticised the Left Front government, which governed Bengal from 1977 to 2011, for what he described as forceful acquisition, and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, which held power from 2011 to 2026, for abdicating responsibility by directing investors to procure land independently.

'The Left Front government believed in acquiring land from landowners at gunpoint. The previous Trinamool Congress government played no role in land procurement for industry and instead asked the investors to procure land directly, which was an impossible proposition,' he said. His administration, he explained, follows a 'direct land policy' — the state government purchases the required land itself and then hands it over for the relevant project, avoiding both coercion and governmental disengagement.

Political Context and Regime Change

Adhikari attributed Bengal's renewed investor interest directly to the change in government following the recently concluded state Assembly elections. He argued that without the political transition, the remaining industrial base in West Bengal would have migrated to other states.

'Bengal and Bengalis have been saved because of this change in regime. The investors have also started coming back and showing investment interest,' he said. This comes amid a broader effort by the new state government to reposition West Bengal as an investment-friendly destination after years of perceived industrial stagnation.

Significance of the Mejia Steel Plant

The ₹15,000 crore steel plant expansion at Mejia, Bankura represents one of the larger industrial commitments seen in the state in recent years. The inauguration served as a platform for Adhikari to signal that the government's law-and-order reforms and land policy are already beginning to attract capital. Analysts note that Bengal's industrial revival will be measured not by announcements but by sustained investment follow-through over the coming years.