'State leather industry produced `13,000 cr goods'

Bengal Commerce and Industry minister Amit Mitra revealed a sharp growth in state's leather industry.

The minister pointed out that the state recorded a production of Rs 13,000 crore leather goods in 2015-16.

Within this production of Rs 13,000 crore, the amount of exported goods is Rs 7,000 crore in 2015-16.

This figures really signify the growth scenario in leather industry, Mitra said, while addressing a gathering at the Kolkata edition of India

International Leather Fair (IILF) which he inaugurated on Sunday.

The minister said that the state government has recorded a steep growth in leather industry. The state has produced goods worth Rs 13,000 crore and is looking forward to reach a target of Rs 15,000 crore within two years. Mitra also mentioned the export component which is Rs 7,000 crore. The main customers of the state's leather products are Europe, South America and Asian countries. A large number of representatives from the buyers' countries have participated in this fair. The minister said that Bengal has around three lakh employees who are working in the leather industry.

The Bengal government will set up leather clusters and leather hubs to help the industry grow further. It may be mentioned that the Bantala Leather Complex, on 1,100 acre of land, is a township which is wholly made for leather industries. It may be also mentioned that the Rs 7,000-crore leather export industry of Bengal faced acute problems owing to demonetisation, several industry bodies had claimed. The prominent among them are the Calcutta Leather Complex Tanners Association and the Council of Leather Exports.

Members of the Calcutta Leather Complex Tanners Association claimed that the industry consists of MSMEs who have some 400 factories and most of them faced severe cash crunch to clear wage dues. "The government has recorded around 3 lakh fresh new employments in Bengal. The number of new employments will increase to 5 Lakh in near future," Amit Mitra also said while talking on Bengal's industrialisation. German Consul General in Kolkata, Olaf Iversen was one of the guests there. The Industry and Commerce minister, however, invited businesses from Germany.

The number of new employments will increase to 5 Lakh in near future," Amit Mitra also said while talking on Bengal's industrialisation. German Consul General in Kolkata, Olaf Iversen was one of the guests there. The Industry and Commerce minister, however, invited businesses from Germany.