Bengal to set up cycle hub; will create over 4K jobs

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced setting up of a bicycle park at Vidyasagar Industrial Park at Kharagpur in West Midnapore which will be generating employment for more than 4000 people.

Banerjee's announcement assumes significance with 78.9 per cent of households in Bengal possessing bicycles, the highest in the country, as per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) against national average of 50.4 per cent.

The credit goes to the Sabooj Sathi scheme introduced by Banerjee in October 2015 under which free-of-cost bicycles are offered to students studying in classes IX to XII in government and government aided schools and madrasahs of the state.

"We distribute 10 to 11 lakh cycles every year under Sabooj Sathi that involves an expenditure of Rs 400 to 500 crore. We have to import cycle parts from other states as there was no cycle factory here. I am very happy today with industrialists coming forward for setting up cycle park here. WBIDC (West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation) will be allotting land 30 acres land at Vidyasagar Industrial Park for this project," the Chief Minister stated.

Four state-based MSME manufacturing units of bicycle and parts of bicycle were present at the programme.

The upcoming bicycle Park will be ultimately developed on 65 acres of land in 3 phases.

In first phase total 5 units will come up in a land of 30 acres wich will together manufacture various components like cycle frame, tyres, tubes, hub, rim etc and will be able to produce 4 lac bicycles annually in next 18 months and in another 2-3 years, a total of 6-7 lac bicycles will be produced annually.

The park will attract an investment of around Rs 200 crore and business turnover is expected to reach Rs 1000 crore per year when fully operational.

The Cycle Park will also focus on manufacturing of modern high-end bicycles, eBikes, Electric Vehicles and other two and three wheelers for domestic and export market.

A senior official of Nabanna said that the primary reason why there has seen a surge in the number of bicycle users in West Bengal is the Sabooj Sathi scheme in which students from class IX to XII get free bicycles.

There are dedicated cycle lanes in New Town as well as in Salt Lake Sector V to encourage bicycles which is also an environment friendly communication mode.