Manikanchan, the city’s first gem and jewellery park and West Bengal’s first special economic zone (SEZ), has failed to take off even nine months after it opened last November.

Over 20 investors, having 26 units in the park, will meet commerce and industries minister Nirupam Sen on Wednesday to draw his attention to the problems hobbling the park.

Manikanchan development commissioner Manoj Kumar, industries secretary Sabyasachi Sen, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) chairman Gopal Krishna and the officer-in-charge of Bidhannagar (South) police station will be present.

So far, only one jewellery unit has started exporting from the park, spread over five acres. This unit, jewellers say, does not produce jewellery but only outsources it.

Investors complained that the quality of water available is much below the required standard. “We need better quality water to electroplate jewellery,” said one jeweller.

Some operators have not been able to procure equipment, including air compressors, safe deposit vaults and even raw gold from other states, since the sales tax department is yet to issue a way-bill.

“We haven’t been given the title deed of our units by the WBIDC,” said another jeweller. WBIDC chairman Gopal Krishna said the problem had been communicated to him by development commissioner Kumar, and the matter will come up for discussion at the meeting.

“It usually takes about three years for operations to stabilise at an SEZ. We’ll discuss and sort out their problems at the meeting,” Krishna said, adding that the meeting had been called to review the progress made by the units.

As for water quality, he claimed it was as good as packaged mineral water.

Security is another major concern for investors, who reason that an eight-foot-high boundary wall does not provide enough security for a complex where precious and semi-precious jewellery, worth crores, will be processed.

“Once the park is fully operational, jewellery worth Rs 1,000 crore will be exported in the first year,” pointed out Pankaj Parekh, chairman of the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council.

At present, 21 of the park’s 30 units have been taken up by investors.

Problems such as inadequate power supply have been dogging jewellers since they took possession of their units in January.

The power shortfall problem was addressed in June, when the chief minister called for speedy redress.