CM ‘concerned’ about pollution at Bantala Leather Complex

Kolkata: Directing necessary steps be taken, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday expressed concern over the issue of pollution and cleanliness at Bantala Leather Complex, popularly known as ‘Sector VI’.

Nabanna sources said the CM made a surprise entry at the meeting held at the state secretariat. She directed the tannery association not to delay the handover of the Sector VI to the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). He directed the top brass of the KMDA to take measures for speeding up the handover process. The KMDA is entrusted with the responsibility of developing infrastructure for solid and liquid waste management there to address the pollution issue.

State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister & KMDA chairman, Firhad Hakim, state Disaster Management minister Javed Khan, Amit Mitra, special adviser to CM on Finance, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and concerned secretaries of different departments were present in the meeting.

Banerjee also directed Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma to adopt zero tolerance against any unlawful activities there. About 148 tanneries are expected to come up in what will be Asia’s largest leather complex - Calcutta Leather Complex at Sector VI in Bantala. About 138 footwear units will form the footwear park which will come up on 62 acres of land.

The total investment in the project will be to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore generating employment for 2.5 lakh people.

The leather complex, popularly known as ‘Karmadiganta’, already has 500 tanneries and leather goods manufacturing units fully operational on 1150 acres of land employing 5 lakh people. The investment in Karmadiganta is to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore.