Bhattacharya assures foundries

The old foundry units in Howrah would not be forced to relocate from the urban centre to the upcoming foundry park in the district, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, chief minister of West Bengal, announced here today.

Allaying fear that forced relocation sponsored by state administration would render many small units unviable, Bhattacharya said the government would not take any unilateral decision. This would erode the viability of the foundry park promoted by the state in the joint sector.

"We believe in consultation process. The issue will be discussed with the units and their views accommodated," the chief minister said.

Speaking at the 11th annual general meeting of Howrah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI), he said the government might consider providing financial assistance for units which wished to relocate or upgrade technology for pollution control.

Howrah was the home of hundreds of foundry units which were now unable to comply with most pollution regulations and norms. The units were now blamed for polluting the city.

The state's nodal agency for industrial promotion, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), is going to set up a dedicated park for foundries where existing units could be relocated.

Bhattacharya in his speech said five dedicated parks on rubber, chemical and plastics, garment and food processing would be set up in Howrah by WBIDC.

Earlier, Sankar Kumar Sanyal, president of HCCI, complained that West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) had induced most of the foundries and other polluting industrial units to install pollution control devices in the last 10 years. The units had invested crores on pollution control equipment in consultation with Jadavpur University and Shibpur BE College.

"If these units are told to shift again, this would double problems. This will force many small scale units to close down," Sanyal warned.

Sanyal alleged industrial units in Howrah were paying rather high electricity charges compares to units in other districts.

"Units in Howrah are paying Rs 5.72 per unit while Durgapur Projects Ltd is offering electricity at Rs 2.70 per unit. This is making the units here uncompetitive," he claimed.