Sick PSUs to be restructured, says state Finance Minister

The state government is likely to restructure Durgapur Chemicals Limited, state Finance minister Amit Mitra said in the Assembly on Friday. He said the issue of restructuring the company was under consideration. The restructuring of three critically sick PSUs namely, Neo Pipes and Tubes Company, Shyamnagar in North 24 Parganas, Lily Products situated at Ultadanga and Barasat and National Iron and Steel Company, Belur had been undertaken. Mitra said around 408 sick units had been registered with BIFR. Out of these, there are 25 Central undertakings and 383 private sector units. But not a single state Public Sector Unit has so far been referred to BIFR from the state, as the state government has taken the task of restricting to revive them to the extent possible.

The state government through WBIDC is to set up an Industrial park in Goaltore covering an area of 950 acre. Also, an area of over 2,600 acre has been identified at Raghunathpur to develop industrial cluster. The draft master plans for these two areas have been prepared. Master plan for an industrial park at Haringhata has also been made ready, Mitra said. He said the construction of a garment park at Budge Budge had already begun at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore. It would come up on 9.5 acre of land. A multi product industrial park is being developed in at Haldia on 300 acres of land. He said the gems and jewellery park in Howrah that has come up on 6 acres of land would be functional by the end of this year. He said the state government had constituted Industrial Township Authority at the Calcutta leather Complex and would set up a common effluent treatment plant and safe solid waste disposal system at Calcutta Leather Complex. He said the state government had allotted land and modules to different companies involving proposed investment of Rs 1302 crore.

Mitra said the state had become an important investment destination and industrialists had shown keen interest to invest in the state due to improved infrastructure and e-commerce. The industrialists are not harassed and get all the clearance without any hassle. He said in the Bengal Global Business Summit held in January many industrialists had shown interest and investment would come to the state.