Asansol and Durgapur, once known as the industrial belt, is facing a rising unemployment after many industries were shut.
Asansol, West Bengal:
Asansol once flourished as an industrial hub of West Bengal, today faces a grim future with industries being shut. Amid elections in the state, political parties are promising a revival, but locals are circumspect after many such promises made in successive elections were left unfulfilled.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has blamed the Trinamool Congress and its predecessor government of the Left for West Bengal's industrial decline. Attacking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress in Asansol, PM Modi said the party acronym TMC stood for "Terror, Maut (Death) and corruption."
PM Modi spoke of development, but did not specifically talk about reviving industries in the Asansol belt. BJP MP Babul Supriyo however said that industries can't be taken away from development.
"We are flabbergasted by the number industries that have closed down in this area, forget about new industries," Mr Supriyo said to NDTV.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed that her government has done a lot to revive the industrial sector. "We have done a big thing and we are going to continue it. On the basis of this I am asking for your vote. We have created a new district of Asansol, a new industrial district, and we will start work on this as soon as we form a new government.
Asansol and Durgapur, once known as the industrial belt, is facing a rising unemployment after many industries were shut.
Ravishankar Das, 45, stays in a quarter once allotted to his father. But the glass factory his father worked shut shop in the 80s and Mr Das has lost all hope for a revival.
"We could not educate ourselves as we were three brothers and the situation was very bad. We had hopes that industry would be revived. We had hoped when the new government came to power but nothing has happened so far," Mr Das said.
Biswanath Karmakar at 75 hasn't had a steady job since the factory he used to work at was closed. "What hope will I have? All these people had said they will revive this place but nothing has been done.
However, many youngsters in Asansol are hoping the political parties will deliver on their promise of an industrial revival. For them, jobs and a secure future is all that matters as political parties slug it out in the elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has blamed the Trinamool Congress and its predecessor government of the Left for West Bengal's industrial decline. Attacking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress in Asansol, PM Modi said the party acronym TMC stood for "Terror, Maut (Death) and corruption."
PM Modi spoke of development, but did not specifically talk about reviving industries in the Asansol belt. BJP MP Babul Supriyo however said that industries can't be taken away from development.
"We are flabbergasted by the number industries that have closed down in this area, forget about new industries," Mr Supriyo said to NDTV.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed that her government has done a lot to revive the industrial sector. "We have done a big thing and we are going to continue it. On the basis of this I am asking for your vote. We have created a new district of Asansol, a new industrial district, and we will start work on this as soon as we form a new government.
Asansol and Durgapur, once known as the industrial belt, is facing a rising unemployment after many industries were shut.
Ravishankar Das, 45, stays in a quarter once allotted to his father. But the glass factory his father worked shut shop in the 80s and Mr Das has lost all hope for a revival.
"We could not educate ourselves as we were three brothers and the situation was very bad. We had hopes that industry would be revived. We had hoped when the new government came to power but nothing has happened so far," Mr Das said.
Biswanath Karmakar at 75 hasn't had a steady job since the factory he used to work at was closed. "What hope will I have? All these people had said they will revive this place but nothing has been done.
However, many youngsters in Asansol are hoping the political parties will deliver on their promise of an industrial revival. For them, jobs and a secure future is all that matters as political parties slug it out in the elections.
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