MillenniumPost
Bengal

Lending in MSME sector: 554 clusters set up in state

KOLKATA: The state government has completed setting up 554 clusters across the state to ensure smooth lending in the MSME sector by the banks. About 292 of these clusters are in MSME while 262 are in handloom and khadi front.

"Bank loans in MSME clusters have been encouraging. So since we assumed office for the first time in 2011, we have laid special focus on the development of clusters. Presently we have completed 554 clusters in the state which have risen from 49 in 2011," a senior official of the state MSME department said.

As many as 83 clusters have come up in Nadia district followed by East Burdwan with 75. Brass and bell metal, plastic, jewellery, nalen gur and muslin handloom exists in Nadia cluster while rice mill, zari zardosi, dokra, muslin, rakhi, kantha stitch handloom have been set up in East Burdwan.

Murshidabad with 38, Howrah with 37 and East Midnapore with 35 are also among the front runners when it comes to the development of clusters. While Howrah is one of the few districts that have a shuttle cock cluster, East Midnapore specialises in cashew nuts, bus body and madur handloom. Paschim Burdwan has seven clusters of refractory bricks — the only of its kind in the state.

Interestingly, Kalimpong a new district that was formed in February 2017 after splitting from the Darjeeling district has developed a dozen clusters comprising cardamom, turmeric, ginger, mulberry silk, art and craft.Some of the well-known clusters in the state include the fan cluster at Bansdroni under the area of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the zari cluster in Howrah, textile cluster in Metiaburz, belle metal cluster in Bankura and Murshidabad, handloom cluster in Nadia and East Burdwan, LED light in Hooghly, baluchari in Bankura, sital pati and mekhla cluster in Cooch Behar, wooden furniture in Alipurduar, Chaau mask in Purulia etc. "We provide support to the clusters by arranging training for skill enhancement, supply of machines and other infrastructure through setting up of common facility centres (CFCs) and also create the infrastructure of marketing products manufactured by them" the official added.

As many as 186 CFCs have already been completed, while work for 14 are in progress. An initiative has been taken for developing another 115 CFCs.

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