Small Industries in a sorry state of affairs; What does Patowary have to say?

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Be it for communication bottlenecks or any other reasons, major industries are simply not happening in Assam. As if to make matters worse, the Government at Dispur has not been prompt enough to utilize the Central funds meant for the setting up of industrial estates in the State during the past three years. The situation of the existing industrial estates is no better either with lack of infrastructure, and other hurdles taking their toll on them.

From 2016-2019, the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) pumped in Rs 23 crore for the setting up of industrial estates and upgrading the existing ones in Assam. A reality check shows that on an average only 10 per cent of the funds has been spent for initiating the preliminary works of such estates. The Union ministry pumped in such funds for the opening of industrial estates in Baksa, Sivasagar, Nathkuchi and a few more locations. Funds have also been sent for upgrading the existing industrial estates in Bongaigaon, Tezpur, Chhaygaon, Tinsukia, and Dhing among other places. However, there is no visible facelift in these industrial estates as the works are yet to be started or are at initial stages. While the works of industrial estates at Chhaygaon, Sivasagar and Tinsukia were not started till December last; the process for tendering was started last month for such estates at Dhing, Nathkuchi, Jabjabkuchi, Malinibeel (Silchar) and a few other places.

Assam hits headlines for wrong reasons when it comes to industrial development. According to MSME reports, till 2010 as many as 6,266 industries were closed in Assam. Strange as it may sound, it’s a fact that the State had 4,209 untraceable industries till 2010. A large number of industrial units were set up with a view to availing the Central government’s transport subsidies during the Congress regime. However, in most of the cases, such industries were only on papers, not on the ground.

For various reasons, mostly for geographical ones and power scarcity, Assam has not been the destination for major industries. Even though single-window is the buzzword, red tape is still a major hurdle in the State Industries and Commerce Department.

In such a situation, micro, small and medium industries are the ones that can make the State thrive with industrial activities. As if to worsen the situation, those at the helm of affairs in the Industries and Commerce department continue to give a cold shoulder to the Centre by not utilizing Central funds in a proper way. In such a situation, can anybody bail out the people of the State from such a gutter?

Sources in the department, on the other hand, say that it takes time for Central funds from being sanctioned and released; and as such the works could not be started on time. There are other problems as well, they say.

A section of people who have got industrial plots allotted to them have been occupying the sheds even after the closure of their industries. Such people, according to sources, use the plots for purposes other than industries. Some such plots are there at the industrial estates at Bamunimaidam in Guwahati also. Officials in the department say that it is difficult to evict such people as there are legal hurdles. “However, we continue our efforts to evict them,” an official of the department said.

Official sources also claim that since May 2016 around 1,530 small and medium industries have been set up in the State and 5,000 others are in the process of being set up. It’s, however, not known as to the actual status of the 5,000 other industries.

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