At the inaugural session of the first annual general meeting of the CII Jharkhand council here on Sunday, Dr Irani said a three-way partnership of workers, management and government together can "effectively" ward-off threats to Indian products from foreign competitors. Also present on the occasion was the Chief Minister, Mr Babulal Marandi, the industry minister, Mr PN Singh, the finance minister, Mr MP Singh, the labour minister, Mr Raghubir Das, and other state ministers.

Citing the example of Tata Steel, Dr Irani said: "The workers and the management at Tata Steel have been working together for a long time now. We hope that the government would join hands with industry, so that we can jointly ward-off all threats to industry."

"Tata Steel, he added, "has been combating global competition for the last two years, and has made profits in a situation, where most steel makers worldwide have been making losses. We expect to earn a good profit in the current year." Describing the state's first Budget as a "good one in the right direction," Dr Irani said, "the recent formation of the advisory commitee for drafting an industrial policy has also been a step in the right direction."

Dr Irani said the creation of Jharkhand was "a second chance, a second life for the region to develop. "In case this opportunity is lost, there won't come a third chance for the state," he added.

The Chief Minister, Mr Babulal Marandi, said he is looking forward to one long interactive session with industry, to prepare a realistic blueprint for the state's industrial growth. "I want to know what the exact impediments are and the interaction should result in something concrete coming out of it," he said.

Mr Marandi said while big industry has its own place, what is needed is "to promote more and more agriculture-based and labour-intensive rural industry so that the poor living in remote areas of the state can earn livelihoods".

The tribal welfare minister, Mr Arjun Munda, pointed out that 14 of the 18 districts in the state are afected by terrorist activities. Jharkhand has an estimated population of 2.5 crore, with around 60 per cent living below the poverty line and 74 per cent living in villages. The industry minister, Mr PN Singh said: "Jharkhand was formed for the development of the region and the current government will see to it that a good industrial policy, and a proper industrial climate are provided for industry to spread in the state."