Kolkata: The Bengal government has created 2,89,100 jobs in 30,231 new Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Textiles units which have come up across the state till December 2019.
The Mamata Banerjee government after coming to power laid enormous emphasis on the building of infrastructure at the MSME sector and encouraged the new comers through incentives. Various medium and small scale industries have received an impetus after the state government simplified the rules of applying for a new venture. The online application process was initiated by the state government to make people free from the hassles. The state government had discovered the potential in the MSME sector and found it to be one of the key sectors that can generate huge employment.
According to the state Finance department around 30,231 new MSME units filed Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum, employing nearly 2,89,100 people till December 2019. The budget statement by the Finance minister Amit Mitra says that in the last two years the quantum of bank credit was unprecedented. In 2018-19, the bank credit remained to the tune of Rs 56,458 crore which was 28 per cent higher than the credit that was reported during 2017-18. In the last financial year 2019-20, the credit flow to this sector reached Rs 35,089 crore, particularly in the April-September quarter, registering a quantum jump of nearly 73 per cent.
The state government has also established eight common facility centres (CFC) for the benefit of the village industry artisans and handloom weavers. Eight more CFCs are under process. As many as 14 'Karmatirtha' have been completed in the current financial year taking the total number to 46 so far in the state.
Setting up of 'Karmatirtha' hubs was an initiative of the Chief Minister. The hubs serve as one-stop shops for entrepreneurs to market their products directly to consumers in rural areas.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee introduced a slew of new projects in the MSME and textiles industry including production centres under 'Project Muslin' in various districts in the past nine years.
Development of muslin and cotton industries had been the thrush area of the Chief Minister. Bengal was one of the largest exporters of cotton and textile goods during the colonial period.
Development of two new industrial estates — Debagram Industrial Estate Phase-II in Jalpaiguri and Midnapore Sadar (Khasjungle) Industrial Estate in West Midnapore are on the verge of completion.
They would be made operational by March 2020. Many more job opportunities would be created once the two industrial estates start operation.
Incidentally, the Finance minister Mitra during his budget speech in the Assembly on February 10, announced 100 new MSME parks which will be set up over of a span of next three years. At present, there are 52 existing MSME parks while 39 others are under construction.