‘New industries to come up on reclaimed land in Raninagar’

Jalpaiguri: For nearly three decades, 16 acres of land in Raninagar Industrial Area lay unused, despite being originally acquired for industrial development. Now, the West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIIDC) has reclaimed the land and leased it out to new industrial players, paving the way for fresh investments in North Bengal.

The state government has allotted 10 acres to a multinational soft drink manufacturer and another 6 acres to a domestic edible oil company. Together, the two companies are set to invest around Rs 50 crore in the initial phase, expected to create direct employment for about 700 people. Construction of the soft drink company’s factory has already begun, while the edible oil company is preparing to start work soon, according to government officials.

At present, no vacant plots are left in the Raninagar Industrial Hub. The reclaimed land had earlier been allotted to JD Industries, which held 10 acres without initiating any project and to an Iron & Steel factory that had shut down operations in the 1990s. After serving notices, both parties confirmed they no longer intended to pursue industrial activity, enabling WBIIDC to take possession.

The reclaimed plots have since been leased out—the 10-acre plot to the soft drink company, which will also shift its warehouse from Fatapukur to Raninagar and the 6-acre plot to Saraogi Oil Company for setting up an edible oil production unit.

Raninagar already hosts two multinational beverage factories, along with Indian Oil’s cooking gas refilling plant, Hindustan Petroleum, Mio Amore and several other units, making it a growing industrial hub. Speaking on the development, Shantanu Talukdar, Chief Engineer of WBIIDC (North Bengal), said: “The state has reclaimed land from old allottees and leased it out to two new industrial groups for setting up industries.”

Industry bodies have welcomed the move. Kishore Marodia, executive committee member of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said: “With these new investments, we expect not just employment but also growth in allied sectors, creating a broader ripple effect across the region.”