Survey of all industrial estates to be conducted

Kolkata: The West Bengal Small Industries Development Corporation (WBSIDC) will undertake a survey in all its industrial estates across the state to get detailed data of each existing units.

At present, that are around 3,000 units in the 38 industrial estates of WBSIDC and the survey to take a stock of every unit will help in planning and decision-making for necessary infrastructure development.

It may be mentioned that many industrial estates had come up during the Left Front regime. But hardly any step was taken by the erstwhile government for infrastructure development of the estates.

Though the Mamata Banerjee government has already taken up the task of improving infrastructure like strengthening of roads and ensuring sufficient supply of water in the industrial estates, the need for carrying out the survey to prepare a master data comprising minute details of each unit was felt during the Bengal Global Business Summit that was held in mid January and while discussing about the industrial estates in other conferences after the summit.

According to a senior official of WBSIDC, the survey will start from February 20 and it will continue for the next 55 days. A private agency will be engaged to carry out the survey in which details of each unit including export volume, annual turnover, direct and indirect employment will be recorded.

"Once the database is prepared, it would be difficult for us to assess which industrial estate has to be given more importance in terms of carrying out infrastructure development with a holistic approach," the official said, adding that a huge upgradation work is expected to be taken up.

Notice has been already been issued to all the industrial estates stating that the survey work will be initiated soon and authorities of all the units should provide data to the concerned officials, who will visit door-to-door to collect all necessary information.

The official further said: "At present we have a very general database and the detailed one about the units in the industrial estates. Moreover, the infrastructure development can also be carried out based on the need of the units in the industrial estates."

This comes at a time when the top brass of WBSIDC have recently held a tour of all the six districts in North Bengal and also enquired if they are facing any difficulty in approaching the corporation for any help or support to set up industry in the estates.

There were discussions about Rejinagar Industrial Estate in Murshidabad, Ambari-Falakata Industrial Estate, etc. "We have got good response in North Bengal as well," the official said.