Kolkata: The state Cabinet on Thursday gave its approval for setting up of five new industrial parks and 18 units involving an investment of about Rs 600 crore that will generate employment for at least 4,000 people.
"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has laid special emphasis on industry and industrialists are coming forward to invest in Bengal," state Finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharjee said after the Cabinet meeting at Nabanna.
Among the 18 industrial units that will be set up in the existing industrial parks, the minister said CG Foods Pvt Ltd is coming up at Vidyasagar Industrial Park in Kharagpur, Berger Paints India Ltd and SS Globus Spirit is coming up at Panagarh Industrial Park in West Burdwan while Jubilant Foodworks is setting up its unit at Rishi Bankim Silpa Udyan at Naihati, North 24-Parganas.
The Scheme for Approved Industrial Park (SAIP) has received a big boost with the state government already providing final approval for 13 private industrial parks spanning over 1055.9 acres of land. The in-principle approval has been accorded to 16 industrial parks spread over 536.83 acres of land in the state. The government land that has been identified for such industrial parks is 1218 acres with 93 land parcels being identified.
The decision by the state Cabinet under the leadership of the Chief Minister in September last year to allow the setting up of industrial parks on land measuring five acres and above reducing the land ceiling drastically from 20 acres has encouraged the private players to set up industrial parks.
Investors setting up private industrial parks can get 100 per cent reimbursement of stamp duty, get a power substation installed free-of-cost and a road to be built to connect with the nearest major road.
Previously, 60 per cent of the industrial park needed to be dedicated to manufacturing but now poultry, fishery, cold storage, warehouse and logistics are also being allowed. A committee comprising representatives from departments like Fire, Land & Land Reforms, West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) with the Managing Director of West Bengal Small Industries Development Corporation as chairman has been constituted for faster clearances. The clearance regarding Consent to Establish WBPCB has been integrated into the MSME department to fast-track the process.