About 40 entrepreneurs show 'expression of interest' in 4 days
Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's move to set up agro-based industrial park at Singur received an overwhelming response with at least 40 entrepreneurs, in just four days, wrote to the state government showing "expression of interest" to set up their units.
It was on December 24, the Chief Minister had announced setting up of an agro-industrial park at Singur in Hooghly on 11-acre land off
National Highway 2 and the notice seeking "expression of interest" was floated on December 28.
"In just four days till December 31, with holidays from Friday, applications of at least 40 entrepreneurs were received. They have shown interest to set up units related to food processing, horticulture, pesticide manufacturing, cattle and poultry feed production," said a senior official of the state government.
The entrepreneurs will be taken to the agro-industrial park in phases from Monday onward for site visit. One or two entrepreneurs will be taken for site visit at a time, keeping the Covid situation in mind.
During the visit, the investors would look for the plot suitable for their unit. Authorities of the West Bengal Small Scale Industry Development Corporation (WBSSIDC) are expecting more entrepreneurs to apply for plots till January 15, the last date for sending letters in the first round.
Expression of interest would be sought in the second round only if any land remains vacant after approval in the first round.
There will be a "pre-bid discussion" with all "interested entrepreneurs" followed by the site visit. Like all other industrial parks of the WBSSIDC, entrepreneurs would get the plot on long-term lease of 99 years and there is also a mode of paying rent, the
official said.
The work of constructing the basic infrastructure like boundary wall, road and firefighting arrangement is going on in full swing. The state government has taken all necessary moves for fast completion of "basic infrastructure". However, the authorities are keeping the terms and condition of creating infrastructure for respective units "flexible". An entrepreneur can either develop their own structure or may approach WBSSIDC to build the same.
Total amount of investment that would take place at the park and generation of job opportunities would get estimated after further discussion and assessment of the expression of interests, said an official.
The state government has taken the move of setting up agro-industrial park at Singur considering that it has bright prospects as the place is rich in cultivation of different types of crops.
