Govt to boost infrastructure of 30 traditional wooden furniture clusters

Kolkata: The state government has taken initiative to create necessary infrastructure for 30 traditional wooden furniture clusters, that have already been identified all across the state.

The initiative has been taken up by the state Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise department. According to a senior official of the department, traditional wooden furniture making clusters are present in many districts and people involved in the trade have been continuing with it for many generations.

But hardly any step was taken during the Left Front government to extend support to the people involved in the trade. Now, the Mamata Banerjee government has decided to take necessary steps so that skill development programmes can be organised for the carpenters.

At the same time, necessary infrastructure will also be developed for the clusters.

The official said that 30 clusters have been identified across the state, in districts including Siliguri, Howrah, Alipurduar, West Midnapore, Purulia, North Dinajpur, Birbhum and Bankura. "Infrastructure needed for each of the clusters is different from the other. So, a study will be carried out to identify the need of each cluster and accordingly the subsequent steps will be taken up," the official said, adding that this is the first time when such an initiative has been taken up for the traditional wooden furniture manufacturing clusters.

Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) will be working to identify the need of each of the clusters and will also execute the development work subsequently. Members of the SPVs have already started speaking to the people who own units in the clusters, to know their requirements.

"We want development and sustenance of the trade that can witness a huge turnout annually, if provided with the necessary infrastructure and it will also help in improving the economy of the places where the clusters exist," the official said, adding that the people involved in the sector are immensely skillful and the state government's effort will take it to a new scale.

As a part of the project of developing infrastructure, Common Facility Centres will be developed. At the same time, testing laboratories and units for mechanised processing of tools will also be set up.

With the initiative, they will also be picking up new techniques and can produce furniture as per the demand of the present time. It will also help them compete in the national and international market as well.