The state government will organise “Synergy”—a business conclave—in Siliguri on November 28 to boost investments in the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector in north Bengal and address issues flagged by entrepreneurs running industrial units in the region.
Two other conclaves are planned for Malda and Cooch Behar, officials of the Jalpaiguri district administration said on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Parveen held a meeting with industrialists and officials from various
departments to finalise the arrangements for the upcoming event.
“Synergy conferences will be held in Malda, Siliguri and Cooch Behar, with a focus on the MSME sector. For the Siliguri event, which will be held on November 28, we had a preparatory meeting,” said Shama Parveen, the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri.
The Siliguri conference will be hosted at Dinabandhu Mancha. In Malda and Cooch Behar, the events are set for November 6 and December 1, respectively.
“The conference has been planned for Malda, North and South Dinajpur districts, while in Cooch Behar, stakeholders from Cooch Behar and Alipurduar districts would be present. Entrepreneurs and prospective investors from Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong will attend the event in Siliguri,” said an official.
“The events aim to explore industrial prospects, investment opportunities, and address the challenges faced by entrepreneurs of the region. Around 300 investors from the MSME sector are expected to participate,”
he added.
Mohan Debnath, president of the Dabgram Industrial Estate Owners’ Welfare Association, mentioned that the major roadblock for industry stakeholders was multiple authorities imposing different rules, which causes confusion and delays.
“The Jalpaiguri Zilla Parishad has taken the initiative to introduce a unified system. We are eagerly waiting for its full-fledged implementation as it would reduce hassle,” he said.
At last year’s Synergy conference in the Dooars, the business fraternity had underscored the same issue and proposed a single, unified regulatory framework for setting up factories, since there are separate, often overlapping regulations, enforced by different state departments
and agencies.
“In that conference, representatives of the state government had said that around ₹8,600 crores would be invested in north Bengal in the MSME sector. We want to know how much of it has been invested so far,” said an industrialist who attended today’s meeting.
Parveen said arrangements are being made so that industrialists and prospective investors can directly interact with state officials.
“There will be help desks to address industry-related issues and stalls set up by banks where the attendees can learn about financing and investment opportunities,” she said.