Jardine was speaking at an interactive session at the Indian Chamber of Commerce.
He said there has been a distinct transformation in the business scenario in the state as greater efforts are witnessed at the local level in promoting investment and economic development. There exists a vast gap between the CPM ideology on top and the practical scene at the grassroots in the state, he added.
The US official, however, said,” I can say that the West Bengal government has been very supportive as far as US investments are concerned.”
Bilateral trade between India and US was nearly $ 20 billion per year three years ago, in the ongoing year it is estimated to touch $ 60 billion. Demand for visas to the US from Kolkata is projected to reach a whopping 1 million per year. Accordingly, the American Consulate has increased its locally employed staff by one-third, he said.
Stressing on the need to woo more investors from the US, the consul-general suggested making investments in new sectors such as agro-business, science and technology.
“Eastern India and particularly West Bengal need investment in infrastructure —- multilane highways, overpasses, bridges and additional ports,” he said.
Speaking on the levels of pollution in the city, he said, “As had been pointed out at the environment partnership summit, the air quality in Kolkata is among the worst.” He stressed on the need to efficiently implement environmental laws and regulations.
The strategic relations between the two countries are expanded by joint naval and military exercises, he added.