Kolkata, Jul 11 (KNN) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the ‘Shilpanna’ centre for leather and cottage industries in Alipore on Wednesday, emphasising the state’s leading position in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector and its contributions to employment generation and women empowerment.
During the inauguration ceremony, Banerjee characterised the state’s MSME performance as a ‘landmark achievement’ and called for moving beyond negative narratives to focus on creativity and self-reliance.
The newly opened facility is designed to promote traditional handicrafts, leather goods, and handloom products while providing a sustainable platform for women-led self-help groups and artisans.
Banerjee presented statistics demonstrating West Bengal’s dominance in the MSME sector, stating that the state ranks first nationally with more than 90 lakh operational units employing over 1.3 crore people.
She noted that the state has established over 660 MSME clusters and facilitated loans exceeding Rs 9.5 lakh crore to support the sector’s growth.
The Chief Minister highlighted youth empowerment initiatives, particularly the Bhabishyat credit card scheme, which provides loans of Rs 50,000 to help young entrepreneurs establish small businesses.
She indicated that the total disbursal under this scheme is approaching Rs 2 lakh crore.
The Shilpanna complex features 45 air-conditioned stalls and three exclusive outlets, representing the state’s commitment to supporting traditional industries.
Banerjee emphasised West Bengal’s transformation in textile production, noting that the state has become a national leader in saree production and handloom-based work.
She detailed the state’s progress in textile self-sufficiency, explaining that West Bengal now produces 5 crore metres of cloth internally for school uniforms, a significant shift from previous reliance on external procurement.
This domestic production has generated several crore workdays, contributing to local employment.
The Chief Minister announced infrastructure developments supporting the sector, including 21 established Banglar Sari outlets and 23 shopping malls in development, each featuring floors specifically reserved for self-help groups.
She concluded by addressing what she described as the prevalence of negative narratives in current discourse, advocating for greater recognition of positive achievements and creative initiatives.
(KNN Bureau)
