West Bengal government clears industrial projects

KOLKATA: The West Bengal government today cleared a number of industrial projects with a potential for creation of massive job opportunities in the state.

After a meeting of the Standing Committee on Industry, Infrastructure and Employment chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here, Finance minister Amit Mitra told reporters that a few big ticket investments like a rubber park and the Apeejay Group promoted-Bengal Shipyard were given clearance under section 14Y of Land Ceiling Act.

He said that a rubber park would come up for the first time in the state at Domjur and Sankrail on 92 acre.

The shipyard project would come up at Kulpi at an investment of Rs 2,000 crore with a potential of creating 5,200 jobs.

Mitra also said that renowned furniture company Supreme Industries had filed an affidavit stating that it would not engage in forcible acquisition of land from farmers for acquiring 49 acre at an investment of Rs 165 crore for the project.

He said the Chief Minister had also cleared the appointment of a transactional adviser for identifying strategic investors for five sick tea gardens owned by the West Bengal Tea Development Corporation.

The accumulated losses of the gardens were Rs 225 crore and the workers would be given the option to work in other government jobs.

Emami would be setting up a Rs 500-crore cement plant at Raghunathpur on 65 acres.