Kolkata: CPM (Communist Party Marxist)-led West Bengal Government today (Oct 12, 2004) welcomed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from the US in the State, even in the face of Left's opposition to increasing the FDI cap in the country's civil aviation, telecom and insurance sectors.

''We said we have no problems with FDI in the State though there a national debate is on about raising the FDI cap in certain sectors,'' State Commerce and Industry Minister Nirupam Sen told newsmen after meeting a delegation of the American Chamber of Commerce in presence of Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee and US Consul-General George Sibley.

Sen said that the Government gave a presentation to the delegation, inviting investments in the IT, Food Processing, Energy, Petrochemicals and Infrastructure sectors.

In a hint that the delegation was not happy with the condition of infrastructure in the State, the Minister said, "They raised certain issues relating to infrastructure development.''

According to Sibley, the delegation was assured by the Chief Minister that there would be no impediment in the way of US investments in the State. ''We are very optimistic about the initiatives of the Chief Minister and his colleagues.''

Country head and chief executive of US investment firm AIG Sunil Mehta, who led the delegation, said that the "current atmosphere" in the State was congenial for investments.