Ignored long for labour unrest and poor infrastructure, West Bengal Thursday made a strong pitch to woo foreign investors with promises of changed policies and improved facilities.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said his Left Front government was committed to cooperating with investors from across the globe to facilitate increased inflow of investments into the state.

Addressing the Partnership Summit 2005, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here, Bhattacharjee said West Bengal would welcome foreign investments in a vast spectrum of industrial sectors.

These include plastics, agriculture, IT, cement, leather and automobiles.

"Investments in these areas will help in internationalising business in West Bengal," he said, adding the state government has given high priority to the state's logistics infrastructure and connectivity.

West Bengal Industry and Commerce Minister Nirupam Sen said the government had drawn a roadmap based on its intrinsic strengths and competitive advantages.

"In the context of the new policy regime, the state government persists in its role as a catalyst and facilitator for investment," Sen told the domestic and international business delegates.

"Besides promotional activities, our efforts are on to create new infrastructure and upgrade the existing infrastructure facilities in the areas of roads and communication and housing and transports."

Sen said the West Bengal government was an investor- friendly administration with "total commitment" for steady industrial growth.

"It is evident that the policies we have been pursuing have substantially improved the standard of living of our people.

"We do feel that to sustain this growth we have to make the most of the opportunities. We are keen to identify the areas where we have the scope to develop, integrate and expand the economic activities."