Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday pledged that the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take every necessary step to revive West Bengal's lost industrial standing, asserting that what had been impossible under the previous government will now be achieved. Shah made the remarks while virtually inaugurating a curd factory at Sankrail in Howrah district.

Shah's Remarks at the Inauguration

Addressing the event, Shah blamed the preceding Trinamool Congress (TMC) administration led by Mamata Banerjee for creating an environment hostile to industrialists and investors. He argued that West Bengal once boasted a thriving industrial ecosystem alongside a rich cultural heritage — both of which, he said, were dismantled under TMC rule.

'Now a new government has come in West Bengal. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has always been respectful towards the state. So, the Union Government will do whatever is necessary to develop West Bengal. What could not happen earlier will surely happen now,' Shah said.

Factory Inauguration Linked to BJP's Poll Victory

Shah drew a direct connection between the factory's launch and the BJP's recently concluded landslide victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections, calling it 'the biggest industrial project after BJP's victory in West Bengal.' He described the facility as 'a sweet gift of curd for the people of the state from Prime Minister Narendra Modi,' adding that consumers across the country would benefit from its produce.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Cooperative Impact

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was present at the event, said the new factory is expected to be financially beneficial for approximately 36 lakh cowherds who will supply milk to the facility. 'The economic backbone of a state cannot be strengthened without a strong cooperative system. So, local cowherds will have to be associated with the curd factory,' Adhikari said.

He also took aim at the previous administration, alleging it 'only sold imaginary data of industrial development' without any tangible action for dairy farmers or the cooperative sector.

Context: Bengal's Industrial Decline and the BJP's Pitch

West Bengal was once among India's leading industrial states, home to major manufacturing clusters in Howrah and the broader Kolkata metropolitan region. Decades of political turbulence and, critics argue, policy neglect contributed to a sustained exodus of capital and industry. The BJP has consistently positioned industrial revival as a central electoral and governance promise for the state. This inauguration, modest in scale, is being projected as a symbolic opening act of a larger economic agenda. Notably, the curd factory at Sankrail is among the first formal industrial events since the new government assumed office.

What Comes Next

With the BJP now in power in West Bengal, attention will turn to whether the Centre follows through with substantive investment commitments, policy reforms, and infrastructure outlays that can attract large-scale private capital — something that has eluded the state for years. Industry observers will watch for concrete announcements in the months ahead.