Just a day before chief minister Hemant Soren informed the Niti Aayog about Jharkhand’s commitment to promoting MSME sector in the state, a regional trade body wrote him a letter highlighting the plight of an industrial area in Deoghar.

While seeking “proper cooperation as per principles of cooperative federalism” at the 8th meeting of the Niti Aayog’s governing council in New Delhi on Saturday, Soren said that the Jharkhand government would soon announce its MSME Promotion Policy 2023 and also introduce MSME special concession rules that have already been prepared.

The state would also increase the capital subsidy to MSME units from the existing 25 per cent up to 40 per cent and establish an MSME directorate for better promotion of the sector, he added.

But the Santhal Paragana Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SPCCI) wrote Soren a letter just the previous day (on Friday), highlighting the plight of the Devipur Industrial Area in Deoghar that did not take offeven more than a decade after it was initiated.

In the letter, signed by SPCCI president Alok Kumar Mallick and secretary Pramod Chhowchharia, the trade body reminded Soren that the establishment of the Devipur industrial area with 414 acres of land was notified in September 2012 but was yet to see the light of day.

“While 169 acres of that land were later allotted to AIIMS, Deoghar that even became functional, a plastic park, complete with basic infrastructure, was also built on 93 acres of the rest that can accommodate 110 plastic industry units but those were not allotted till date though applications were invited from interested entrepreneurs twice in recent past,” they further said in the letter.

About 100 acres of the rest 152, were also allotted to 82 entrepreneurs in 2018-19 but they were not given physical possession of those plots till date, they added in their letter to the chief minister, urging him to expedite the process.

“This happened due to lack of political will and indifferent attitude of the officials,” Mallick told this paper, sharing a copy of the letter and added that the industry could flourish in the state only if the government extends a meaningful helping hand.

The Jharkhand Small Industries Association (JSIA), when contacted, also took the announcement of the chief minister with a pinch of salt.

“We certainly welcome the chief minister’s assurance of introducing a MSME promotion policy but basic requirements of the sector must be met first,” JSIA president Anjay Pacheriwala said, adding they were facing a lot of problems, power crisis being their biggest problem at the moment.

“Due to a power crisis we can’t complete any work order on time and that, in turn, will make it difficult to bag further orders,” he elaborated when asked.

Besides, sudden trippings often cause damage/loss of raw materials and running generators for ensuring uninterrupted power supply escalates production cost, he further said, adding such basic requirements as smooth power supply must be ensured first for the intended promotion of the MSME sector.