''The state has done a great job but they should keep in mind that industry should be kept out of politics,'' Karnik said while addressing 'INFOCOM 2005' in Kolkata.
He praised the efforts of the state government in projecting the state as a favoured IT destination in the country but said it should now start developing the district towns of both North and South Bengal as next IT destinations for proper utilisation of the huge talent pool available in the state.
''In the world of technology talents don't hunt for jobs but the work goes to the talent pool that is why like other southern states, West Bengal government should find alternative IT destinations in the districts,'' he said.
He expressed his happiness about the achievements of the state government in attracting investments in various
sectors especially in IT.
West Bengal IT Minister Manabendra Mukherjee announced that the government has planned another IT city near the airport in addition to the project in Rajarhat.
''The project would be undertaken in public-private-partnership and we have selected 500 acres of land and global tendering would soon begin,'' he said.
''A lot of change in perception has taken place in the last four years but we are still not satisfied with the investments that have come so far. We aim to be a favoured destination in Asia and the world,'' he said.
West Bengal has 235 IT companies with 30,000 working professionals, he said. ''We will declare Salt Lake sector V as industrial township in near future,'' he said.
Nasscom vice chairman and founder of Satyam Computers B Ramalinga Raju said, ''West Bengal has made its presence felt in the IT map of the country. The growth of the IT industries in the city is quite high as compared to the other cities.''
