‘Over 330 rural entrepreneurship hub cooperative societies formed in state’

KOLKATA: The state government has set up rural entrepreneurship hub (REH) for further development of small-scale industries in the state through co-operative societies. These societies are being formed with a minimum of 11 people, who are involved in similar type of work.

“We have already constituted more than 330 REH co-operative societies and more than 10,000 people are directly and indirectly connected with them. Those associated with these REHs do work related with development of rural economy,”stated Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) minister Chandranath Sinha while replying to a query from BJP legislator Manoj Kumar Oraon in the state Assembly on Tuesday.

According to Sinha, among the co-operative societies, more than 115 are associated with agro and agro-business, agriculture commodities and rural small businesses like making things with bell metal, bamboo, kantha stitch and other handicrafts. “We have provided necessary assistance to them, as per requirement that includes skilled training, distribution of tool kits,”Sinha said.

There have been 108 proposals for skilled training, distribution of tool kits from REHs and 63 of them have already got necessary assistance.

The expenditure for handing over tool kits has been over Rs 3.50 crore.

Three co-operative societies have been brought under a single cluster. Proposal from another 26 such societies for cluster formation is being examined.

Sinha said that steps have been taken for examining the work done by the REH co-operative societies, as well as, other societies associated with rural small industries

and extend necessary assistance as per their needs.

“The West Bengal Khadi and Village Industries Board has taken up cluster development programme too for advancement of small scale industries through co-operative societies,”he added.