The West Bengal Government is moving ahead with its plan to take unused land back from industry, State Commerce and Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee said on Monday.
“The process of taking back land will be speeded up. Some industrial units have been identified,” Chatterjee told reporters on the sidelines of the 159{+t}{+h} Annual General Meeting of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Haldia
According to him, the Government has already identified two such companies. Approximately 100 acres of land will be freed from one of the companies to create a handloom cluster. The minister said the Centre’s decision to lift ban on industrial expansion at Haldia and two other industrial towns would encourage investors.
According to Chatterjee, 25-30 investment proposals were pending with the State Government for Haldia, as the ban was imposed since 2010 based on comprehensive environmental pollution index (CEPI).
The ban on industrial expansion at Haldia, Asansol and parts of Howrah was lifted last week by Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) as the pollution level has decreased (CEPI below 70).
Nayachar
“This will encourage industries to invest at the port town of Haldia, at the Durgapur-Asansol industrial belt and Howrah. We had been trying to remove this ban from these industrial towns and this is very good news for industrial growth of the State,” Chatterjee said.
Meanwhile, an advisory committee of the State Government met with MoEF last week, seeking environmental clearances for projects at Nayachar Island in East Midnapore.
“State government officials met with the board of MoEF on September 20 and discussed how to expedite the process of getting environmental clearances for setting up industries at Nayachar,” he said.
According to him, there are investment proposals for a thermal power station, eco-tourism project and training centre for fishermen.