A study on West Bengal, funded by former Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi and conducted by economist Bibek Debroy and Laveesh Bhandari, says that the state is crying for better governance.

Coming on the eve of general elections, the report cited a World Bank study which says that Kolkata ranks 12th on ease of doing business in India. Even cities like Patna (rank 9), Ranchi (10), Jaipur (3), Bhubaneswar (5) and Lucknow (6) are doing better in terms of providing a better business environment.

Read the full report here 

The fact that the report is aimed at impressing voters is clear from Debroy's comment: "Our report is not just a documentation of West Bengal's economic and social decline, but an attempt to empower people with information to base their choices, to set an agenda for change as billions world over are doing today.''

The report says there are five diseases that afflict the state. The foremost problem is state's inability to create a facilitating business environment. The second problem is Bengal's inability to ensure law and order. The report says there are 94 policemen per one lakh population whereas the national average is 126.

The state also suffers from poor physical infrastructure especially roads, electricity and drinking water. The report says only 27.9% of West Bengal's households had access to safe drinking water.

A similar decline is seen in education. However, Debroy's report does not base itself on latest figures that show a marked improvement in enrolment.

The report also says that the state has failed to manage its finances. The revenue deficit in West Bengal was 4% whereas the average Indian state has a surplus of 0.4%. 

 Source: Times of India