KOLKATA, April 13 (PTI): West Bengal Industry and Commerce minister Shashi Panja said the government is giving thrust on tea tourism in north Bengal while giving equal emphasis on plantation activity as well.
Speaking at an event organised by MCCI on Wednesday evening, Panja said the state government has taken over a portion of the land which cannot be utilised for plantation. It would be promoted for tourism purposes at New Chumta (located in the foothills of Darjeeling) and Raydak (Jalpaiguri) tea gardens.
She said the land would also be utilised for promoting homestays and low-cost housing for tea garden workers. The minister also said 8,000 acres of non-agricultural land have also been identified besides Amritsar-Dankuni freight corridor where a host of industries would come up.
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The minister said that the Industrial Promotion Board of the West Bengal government has identified land in Purulia district for setting up industrial units and it has been divided into orange and green zones. She said the board has initiated measures for sorting out land issues.
“The government has brought eight departments under the umbrella of the board for identifying land which can be converted for industrial use”, the Commerce and Industry minister said.
Panja said the government is also eyeing the land of closed units which can be used for industrial use, examples of which are 193 acres of Dhakeswari Cotton Mills near Asansol and 360 acres of land of Durgapur Projects Limited (DPL).
This year the Bengal Global Business Summit will be held in November, the minister said.
