Industrial units in West Tripura face stagnation

Nearly a hundred small and medium industrial units on the outskirts of Agartala face the risk of closure for want of infrastructure.

Dukli (Tripura), July 14 : Nearly a hundred small and medium industrial units on the outskirts of Agartala face the risk of closure for want of infrastructure.

The Dukli Industrial Estate in West Tripura had around hundred small and medium units bustling with life when it was established in the mid eighties. But now, they wear the look of a haunted place.

Inadequate infrastructure, water and power shortages, lack of transportation and security problems have forced most of these units to close down.

Unit owners allege that negligence on the part of the State administration was forcing them to shut the factories.

Bhabatosh Dutta, one of the small industry owners said: "We have power problems now and then, which have resulted in production loss and thus monetary loss. We have nothing to do."

Most of the machineries have been stolen and the remaining were left abandoned. Workers of these factories were the worst hit, as they have been rendered jobless.

"Earlier, there were 50 to 60 people working. Now, there are less people because the work is not done since the government does not buy from us. The condition of the factory is not good and it has been closed down for the last two-three months," said Parsan Ram, a factory worker.

According to the state's industrial development agency, they have come up with a new Industrial Policy, which would transform the industrial climate in the state for better.

This policy aims at attracting investors, especially automobile and ancillary industries, which at present are non-existent in the region.

The government said it would also augment for power shortages in due course.

Pabitra Kar, Chairman of Tripura Industrial Development Corporation said that after the declaration of this new Industrial policy, lot of queries are coming. He also said that lot of industrial houses are also visiting our state, so we hope we will take benefit from this industrial policy.

The economy of the state was stagnated as it lies in the remotest part of the country, away from mainstream.

The state is industrially highly underdeveloped. Agriculture is the mainstay of the state's economy, providing employment to about 64 per cent of its 3.19 million population.

ANI