Kolkata: Tanneries of Kanpur were keen to set up units in West Bengal and looking for lands in the state following problems of raw material sourcing in Uttar Pradesh.

“Some 20 or 25 tanneries have shown interest to open their units here because of problem to get raw materials in Uttar Pradesh. They are looking for land or taking over existing units,” Calcutta Leather Complex Tanners Association president Ramesh Juneja told PTI.

Tanneries of Uttar Pradesh were facing shortage of raw materials following the state governments action against illegal slaughter houses.

State MSME secretary Rajiva Sinha said that he had been informed by the local leather industry about their UP firms interest in opening units in West Bengal.

“A meeting is likely to take place in near future with them. The government will offer all support to accommodate them,” he said.

The Calcutta Leather Complex currently has about 350 tanners and leather processors and it cannot offer plot to new units due to constraints in effluent treatment capacity in the complex, Juneja said.

“Two new treatment plants have been proposed by the state government which will help open scope for additional 250 units to set up shop here,” he said.

West Bengal government would be pumping Rs 200 crore over the next two years to modernise the complex, Sinha said adding that the DPR for the project was underway.

“To overcome waste management and effluent treatment problems in the leather complex, we are modernising the existing four plants and installing two new plants at a cost of Rs 60 crore as also part of it”, Sinha said.

Of the 1100 acre leather complex, 970 acres is available for leather activity. As of now, 325 wet tanneries and 39 leather units operate out of this zone.

The state leather industry, pegged at Rs 13,000 crore, including exports worth Rs 7,000 crore, is expected to get a boost if the Kanpur tanneries open units in here.

Source: India Today