2 hrs ago
West Bengal Plans Industrial Revival on Dormant Burdwan Land
West Bengal has many large factory sites that are no longer being used.
The government wants to bring new businesses to these places.
Officials say this could create jobs for people in West Burdwan.
One planned project is a ready-to-use industrial park at Dhakeswari.
Government teams have inspected old factory land in Asansol and Durgapur.
They are checking maps, buildings, encroachments, and legal problems.
Some sites are clear and ready for development, while others are tied up in court cases.
The government says it wants to restore the area’s industrial importance.
It also hopes local young people can find work nearby instead of moving elsewhere.
West Bengal plans to repurpose roughly 2,100 acres linked to closed factories in West Burdwan.
Agnimitra Paul said the government is pursuing new investment and employment at dormant industrial sites.
The West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation is developing a plug-and-play park at Dhakeswari.
Officials inspected Hindustan Cables and Cycle Corporation properties and reviewed encroachment and legal issues.
Several sites face litigation or encroachment, while others have large areas available without reported disputes.
- Who
- The West Bengal government, the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, state officials, and local representatives, including Agnimitra Paul, are involved.
- What
- The government plans to repurpose unused land belonging to closed industrial units and attract fresh investment.
- Where
- The initiative focuses on West Burdwan, including Asansol, Durgapur, Kulti, Rupnarayanpur, Burnpur, and Dhakeswari.
- When
- The announcement and site inspections were reported recently; Hindustan Cables has been defunct for nearly a decade.
- Why
- The stated aims are to revive industry, address dormant land and legal issues, create local employment, and reduce migration for work.
Key facts
- Estimated land bank
- Approximately 2,100 acres associated with defunct manufacturing units in West Burdwan.
- Planned industrial park
- A plug-and-play industrial park is being pursued at Dhakeswari under a central government scheme.
- Largest listed site
- Hindustan Cables Limited’s Rupnarayanpur property covers approximately 947.23 acres, including 511.04 vacant acres.
- Durgapur fertilizer site
- Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation of India controls 541 acres, of which 468 acres are described as idle.
- MAMC site
- MAMC Limited spans 193.67 acres, with 153.4 acres reported vacant and without legal disputes.
- Cycle Corporation site
- The Asansol property covers 239.1 acres, including 178.42 idle acres, but faces a High Court writ petition and encroachment.
- Other legal challenges
- Kesoram Rayon Industries faces a Land Reforms and Tenancy Tribunal dispute, while Hindustan Pilkington Glass is involved in High Court litigation.
Quotes
Agnimitra Paul
West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister and Asansol South MLA
“However, over the last three to four decades, aggressive and disruptive trade unionism forced these massive manufacturing giants to shut down one after the other, triggering a massive unemployment crisis. Our government is now determined to repurpose and reopen these closed units through various formats. The ultimate goal is to generate robust local employment so that our youth can build careers at home rather than migrating to other states as laborers.”
thestatesman.com
“Both the state and the central governments are working in close coordination. We are confident that the technical and legal hurdles will be smoothly resolved to reclaim these massive, dormant industrial land banks in West Burdwan.”
thestatesman.com
Sources
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