Chemical hub must come up near a port: Buddhadeb

The proposed chemical hub in West Bengal, which won't come up in Nandigram because of violence there, has to be set up near a port, state Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said on Wednesday.

"I am not going to Nandigram, but we must have the chemical hub near a port," Bhattacharjee told a CII sponsored seminar, 'Technology intervention in micro and small sector' in Kolkata.

He also said that the the small and medium sector could not be ignored, even though his government was inviting large industries to the state for investment.

"We are inviting large industries for more job creation," he said.

UK consultant McDonald said that the chemical hub should come near a port. Formally launching an incentive package for cottage and small-scale industries, the chief minister asked the concerned ministry to implement it properly.

Interest subsidy, capex subsidy and electricity subsidy were included in the incentive package announced by the state.

Small-scale industry secretary G D Gautama said that the state proposed to build 20 sector-specific clusters at a cost of around Rs 80 crore (Rs 800 million).

Currently, there are only three clusters in the state. 20 new clusters were proposed while state government has approved 17 more in the khadi and handloom sector, Gautama said. Meanwhile, Union additional secretary for SSI & rural industry, Jawahar Sircar said that Centre was planning at least four design and tool rooms in the four metros which would cost Rs 20 crore (Rs 200 million) each.