‘Three districts likely to attract investment worth Rs 7,000 crore in coming years’

Kolkata: The Bengal government is expecting an investment of about Rs 7000 crore in Murshidabad, Nadia and Birbhum districts in the coming years with an employment potential of nearly 80,000 people.

The announcement was made on Saturday by state MSME and Textiles minister Chandranath Sinha during the Synergy and Business Facilitation Conclave, attended by more than 600 entrepre-neurs, at Murshidabad Zilla Parishad Auditorium. Investment proposals of Rs 2,940 crore have been received from investors, industry associations and entrepreneurs, he said.

The major projects that are upcoming and have been developed were deliberated at the conclave. Several MSME clusters in Murshidabad that have been developed include CFCs (Common Facility Centres). Khagra Brass & Bell Metal Cluster is complete with the required machinery at a total cost of Rs 2.53 crore.

This centre will provide direct benefit to 200 units. The CFC for Kathalia Pottery Cluster has been set up at about Rs 1.38 crore which will benefit more than 600 artisans. Similarly, the CFC for the Berhampore Wooden Furniture Cluster is being set up with an approved fund of about Rs 4 crore which will benefit around 400 people.

Meanwhile, the Bengal Khadi Board has taken up a readymade garment project at Kanthalberia under Nakashipara block in Nadia involving around 200 members with a total cost of around Rs 22.38 crore. A common facility for Readymade Garments Hub at village Choupahari of Illambazar block in Birbhum is being developed at a project cost of Rs 5.90 crore. The civil construction has been com-pleted and machinery procurement and installation are under process. About 400 ST women will be benefitted from this project.

Businesses attending the conclave were informed that Phase-II of Bolpur Industrial Park in Birbhum has been developed for Rs 10.47 crore consisting of 20 plots. “This infrastructure will sure-ly fuel the development of MSMEs in the area. The initiative has been taken to develop Sainthia Industrial Park on about 53 acres of erstwhile Ahmedpur Sugar Mill in two phases. DPR has been prepared and is under vetting,” the minister said.

Additionally, the development of three Handloom Clusters has been taken up — one each at Bol-pur, Murarai-I and Rampurhat-II blocks with a combined project cost of Rs 4.33 crore. More than 1500 weavers and allied workers will benefit from these clusters.

An amount of Rs 17.19 lakh has been sanctioned for the Suri Women Readymade Garments Clus-ter, for which implementation is under progress. Around 500 women will benefit from it.