West Bengal SSI clusters on cards

KOLKATA: West Bengal’s directorate of cottage & small scale industries plans to set up 80-odd clusters for small scale industries (SSIs) across the state in the next three years.

Of this, 20 clusters will be set up in ’06-07. The nature of these 20-odd clusters will be identified in consultation with state SSI associations. Once the specific nature of these clusters is identified, the proposal to execute them will be sent to the Union ministry of small scale industries.

The proposal will be sent to the Centre seeking financial assistance and incentives for the clusters, said Mr Arun Bal, director and ex-officio special secretary of the state directorate of cottage and small scale industries. In the first phase, such clusters may be set up near Kolkata and in Howrah and Hooghly districts.

Speaking at a meeting on Tuesday, organised by Federation of Small and Medium Industries (Fosmi), Mr Bal said “the directorate will soon launch an exercise in restructuring district industries centres (DICs), which now act as nodal agencies for setting up SSI units in the state.