State releases about Rs 32.50 crore for MSME&T projects

Kolkata: The Finance department has released Rs 32.50 crore for the financial year 2024-25 in order to facilitate smooth functioning of infrastructure projects under SIDBI Cluster Development Fund (SCDF).

The released fund is 25 per cent of the year’s Budget provision for SIDBI-SCDF projects under the state Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Textile (MSME&T) department.“This fund will be utilised in creating common facility centres (CFCs) for new clusters in the state and also for development of the industrial parks. The state government creates infrastructure in the form of roads, electricity and boundary walls for the industrial parks,” an MSME department official said.

Presently, there are 650 clusters in Bengal presently and 59 industrial parks. Another 15 such parks are in the pipeline. The MSME department has been focusing on the development of clusters to enable banks to lend to MSMEs in these clusters. Some of the well-known clusters includes the fan cluster at Bansdroni under KMC area, the zari cluster in Howrah, textile cluster in Metiabruz, belle metal cluster in Bankura and Murshidabad, handloom cluster in Nadia and East Burdwan, LED light in Hooghly etc.

“We provide support to the clusters by arranging training for skill enhancement, supply of machines and other infrastructure through setting up of CFCs and also create infrastructure of marketing products manufactured by them,” the official added.