Bengal for big push to small industries

The state government plans to increase the number of industrial clusters three times its present number for small and medium industries by the end of the 11th five-year plan.

Manabendra Mukherjee,the Minister for Micro,Small and Medium Industries,has fixed the target of setting up 212 industrial clusters while at present there are 67 such clusters in the state.

These clusters are spread over in zones in Howrah,Durgapur,Behrampore and Siliguri. These clusters comprise textile,jewellery,leather,small engineering goods,metals and forging units.

About 94 per cent of the industries in the state are not registered with the government. However,the number of small and medium industries in the state is about 27.5 lakh,which employ 57 lakh people as per the report of national sample survey, Mukherjee said,speaking at a programme organised by Federation of Small and Medium Industries (FOSMI) in West Bengal. Last year,about 14,000 new industries were registered with the state government,he said.

At the function,the Federation awarded 19 entrepreneurs who excelled in different categories such as industrial enterprise,exports etc. Smriti Laha,president of Swayan Ugyogi Nari,an NGO,was awarded for her contribution to train self-help groups.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee,who was also present,said these entrepreneurs are in no way less important than multinational companies.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram