Mamata, not Buddha, on key US official’s agenda

Publication: Times Of India Kolkata; Date: Sep 11, 2009; Section: Times Business;
Sumali Moitra | TNN

Kolkata: It’s Mamata over Buddha for US acting deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs Michael Owen — the highest ranking American official to visit Bengal since the Lok Sabha results boomeranged on the Left.

Speaking to TOI on the sidelines of a cultural function organised by the Muslim Business Council of India here on Thursday, Owen said that he would not be meeting the chief minister during his stay in Kolkata but added that US consulate officials are trying to arrange an interaction with the Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo.

Owen — who is travelling to Kolkata for the first time, despite having served as US consul general in Mumbai in the past — is slated to be in the city till Sunday. Interactions with political and business leaders, and civil society representatives, apart from attending cultural programmes, figure in his packed itinerary.

On her part, though, US consul general Beth Payne tried to downplay the absence of a meeting between Owen and the CM, attributing it to protocol-related issues. “The new US ambassador has not met the CM yet,” Payne said. The chief minister is expected to be in the city on Friday.

Payne confirmed that the local US mission is trying to fix meetings with key political leaders irrespective of their affiliations. However, she declined to give out names of the CPM and Trinamool leaders whom Owen is likely to meet, and the likely venue for these interactions.

“US companies are very keen to raise their presence in India. Recently, we have also seen many Indian companies investing in the US, which is a very good sign. I have come to Kolkata to listen to business people about the industrial climate in this state,” Owen said.

On Friday, Owen would be meeting representatives of Amcham, a chamber whose membership includes American companies and their subsidiaries operating in this country.

Although US companies — including the likes of Pepsico and IBM — have been consistently raising their presence in Bengal, the state has never caught the fancy of American firms as Maharashtra, National Capital Region or the southern states have. Before the elections, an Amcham delegation had been assured that the Bengal government may consider putting in place a panel to speed up the flow of investments to the state. Unfortunately, however, nothing has been heard on this issue since May 16.

Acting deputy assistant secretary of state Michael Owen