35 applications received to set up private industrial parks

kolkata: The Scheme for Approved Industrial Park (SAIP) has received a big boost with the state government's reduction of the quantum of land from 20 to 5 acres for setting up private industrial parks since September last year.

Applications have come for 35 private industrial parks spanning across 1600 acres. About 86 applications for land parcel have also come for government industrial parks, involving 1,200 acres.

"October was the festival month, so considering the situation in two-and-a-half months have only elapsed since the reduction of land quantum for setting up industrial parks was announced. So, the response has been quite good. The Expression of Interest will be floated soon,"a senior official of the state government said.

According to sources in the MSME department, the applications have been received from all parts of the state, with the majority coming from Howrah, West Burdwan, Nadia, South 24-Parganas and also from Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Cooch Behar in North Bengal.

The state Cabinet in September had taken the decision of allowing industrial parks on land measuring 5 acres and above reducing the land ceiling drastically from 20 acres with the aim to encourage private players to set up industrial parks on plots of land measuring 5 acres and above. Availability of patch of land measuring 20 acres and above was a difficult proposition particularly in Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA).