Work on 2 proposed poly parks hangs in the balance
Times of India | 1 March 2025
123 Kolkata: Work on two proposed poly parks, which were earlier announced to come up at Uluberia and at a site near Durgapur Expressway, has hit a roadblock. The Indian Plastics Federation (IPF) has said that uncertainty loomed over when construction of the two parks would commence.
On Friday, the 10th edition of INDPLAS'25 — the triennial exhibition organised by IPF at Biswa Bangla Milan Prangan — was unveiled by state industry minister Shashi Panja.
IPF member Alok Tibrewala said: "The upcoming poly park at Uluberia has hit legal hurdles and a litigation is going on at Calcutta High Court. So, we are uncertain when the construction of the park will begin."
Tibrewala did not specify the reason behind the roadblock for the other park. "A site near Durgapur Expressway has been purchased by investors but work has not commenced yet. It is difficult to say when work will start," he said.
The existing industrial poly park at Sankrail in Howrah that came up on 100 acres of land has about 75 manufacturers. Lalit Agarwal, president of IPF, said: "There is no further place for expansion at the Sankrail poly park due to scarcity of land. So, we are looking for two additional parks. We are seeking govt help to tide over the hurdles."
Agarwal said the state had approved about 40 proposals of industrial parks under the State-Approved Industry Park (SAIP) scheme and 60% space in each park was being taken by plastic manufacturers.
Panja said: "Many players are looking for investment in the state's plastic sector. The state offers MSME-favourable schemes."
Narendra Surana, CMD of Ddev Plastiks, announced that they were planning to set up two plastic units in the state soon.
The market size of Bengal's plastic industry stands at Rs 35,000 crore. "The industry is growing at 14% in the state. About Rs 3,000 crore investment is on the cards in the next two years," said Agarwal.
Navanit Narayan, CEO of Haldia Petrochemicals, said: "On an average, the per capita consumption of plastic in Bengal is 9 kg and it is lower compared with other states. About 25 years ago, Bengal had 14 plastic units and the number has gone up to 1,400 today."