CHANDIGARH

With an aim to fasten the recovery from Covid induced stress and to bolster the industrialization and create more job opportunities in the state, the Punjab Government has decided to adopt the cluster development approach. It has identified 15 industrial clusters for setting up of Common facilitation Centres (CFC) for them under Micro & Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP) of Govt. of India.

Disclosing this, Industries Minister Sunder Sham Arora said that these cluster proposals are at various stages of their implementation. In 4 clusters, the Union Govt. has given final approval to 4 DPRs namely Hitech Metal Cluster, Mohali, Oil Expeller & Parts Cluster, Ludhiana, Garments Cluster, Ludhiana and Foundry Cluster, Kapurthala for which Central Govt. would provide a grant of 70% to 90% of the project cost of maximum Rs. 15 crores, Arora added.

The Minister further informed that Hi-tech Metal Cluster, Mohali and Oil Expeller & Parts Cluster, Ludhiana have already been completed while the work on remaining ones is in full swing.

Three more clusters including Auto Tech Cluster, Ludhiana and Sewing Machine Cluster, Ludhiana and Cutting Tools Cluster at Patiala have got In-principle approval from the Govt. and initial spade work of capacity building in other clusters is going on, said the Minister.

Besides Oil Expeller & Parts Cluster, Wire Drawing Cluster, Tractor Parts Cluster, Sheet Metal Cluster, Garments Cluster, Auto Parts Cluster, Sewing Machine Cluster & Printing & Stationery Cluster of Ludhiana, Mohali Hi-tech Metal Cluster and Advanced Machinery Cluster of Mohali, Surgical Cluster, Jalandhar, Foundry & General Engineering Cluster, Phagwara (Kapurthala), Cutting Tool Cluster, Patiala, Knitting Cluster, Amritsar, Steel Re-rolling Mill Cluster, Mandi Gobindgarh, (Fatehgarh Sahib) comprise the clusters identified under the plan.

Under the Cluster Development scheme, the SPV gets an amount of Rs. 15 Cr-20 Cr. for the construction of the Common facilitation Centres (CFC) with latest technology which are utilised by the members of the cluster at nominal rate. Hence the cluster approach greatly helps in utilisation of the latest technology machines at nominal rate to the Industries and hence improves their productivity.