West Bengal Welcomes Toy Park Proposals

07 Nov 2023 CW Team

Discussions with WBIDC regarding the establishment of a toy cluster near Bali Station will commence soon, involving stakeholders interested in acquiring land in the area. While land near Asansol has been offered for the toy cluster, Howrah is the preferred choice due to its existing toy industry ecosystem.

Around 40 leading toy industry players are considering setting up units in Taratala. Negotiations with KMDA are ongoing, primarily focusing on lease terms and rates. This could potentially lead to an initial investment of over Rs 750 million, with plans to commence business operations in a 1,80,000 square feet area.

The International Toy Exhibition featured 129 stalls, with 40% of them representing Bengal and the rest from various parts of India and neighbouring countries. This exhibition, now in its second year, has seen growth compared to the previous year's 120 stalls.

Headline: Karnataka Allocates Funds for Rising Electricity Demand Intro: Karnataka plans to allocate additional funds to meet the electricity demand

In a review meeting led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Energy Department decided to allocate an additional Rs 15 billion to address the rising electricity demand in the state. These funds will be sourced from grants and reallocation of existing budgets.

The state is also progressing towards providing power supply to irrigation pump (IP) sets using solar power sources, a process known as Solarisation of EIP Feeders, to enable daytime electricity access for farmers. The CM highlighted a substantial increase in electricity demand, with a 43% rise in 2023 compared to 2022, recording 15,978 MW demand in October.

Agricultural usage has surged to 119%, and the usage percentage in other sectors has grown from 9% to 14%. This rise is attributed to factors such as reduced rainfall, early IP set usage, and post-COVID-19 economic recovery. The production of Raichur and Bellary thermal power plants has also increased. To meet the power demand, electricity is being procured from states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.

The CM emphasised the importance of continuous power supply to farmers through various power supply companies, with tailored access for five to seven hours based on their requirements. The demand for providing power to IP sets across the state continuously for seven hours stands at 600 MW/hr and 14 million units per day. Measures have been taken to restore power distribution to normalcy, ensuring vigilant monitoring by nodal officials.

The state is open to proposals for establishing toy parks, as Mayor Firhad Hakim expressed during the International Toy Exhibition's inaugural session at Netaji Indoor Stadium. Akshay Binjrajka, Chairman of the Toy Sub-Committee of the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, suggested the creation of a toy industrial hub in Howrah's industrial belt due to its proximity to ports and highways. State Industry, Commerce, and Enterprise Minister Shashi Panja welcomed such proposals, emphasising the state's support for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and large-scale industries. Discussions with WBIDC regarding the establishment of a toy cluster near Bali Station will commence soon, involving stakeholders interested in acquiring land in the area. While land near Asansol has been offered for the toy cluster, Howrah is the preferred choice due to its existing toy industry ecosystem. Around 40 leading toy industry players are considering setting up units in Taratala. Negotiations with KMDA are ongoing, primarily focusing on lease terms and rates. This could potentially lead to an initial investment of over Rs 750 million, with plans to commence business operations in a 1,80,000 square feet area. The International Toy Exhibition featured 129 stalls, with 40% of them representing Bengal and the rest from various parts of India and neighbouring countries. This exhibition, now in its second year, has seen growth compared to the previous year's 120 stalls. Headline: Karnataka Allocates Funds for Rising Electricity Demand Intro: Karnataka plans to allocate additional funds to meet the electricity demand In a review meeting led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Energy Department decided to allocate an additional Rs 15 billion to address the rising electricity demand in the state. These funds will be sourced from grants and reallocation of existing budgets. The state is also progressing towards providing power supply to irrigation pump (IP) sets using solar power sources, a process known as Solarisation of EIP Feeders, to enable daytime electricity access for farmers. The CM highlighted a substantial increase in electricity demand, with a 43% rise in 2023 compared to 2022, recording 15,978 MW demand in October. Agricultural usage has surged to 119%, and the usage percentage in other sectors has grown from 9% to 14%. This rise is attributed to factors such as reduced rainfall, early IP set usage, and post-COVID-19 economic recovery. The production of Raichur and Bellary thermal power plants has also increased. To meet the power demand, electricity is being procured from states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh. The CM emphasised the importance of continuous power supply to farmers through various power supply companies, with tailored access for five to seven hours based on their requirements. The demand for providing power to IP sets across the state continuously for seven hours stands at 600 MW/hr and 14 million units per day. Measures have been taken to restore power distribution to normalcy, ensuring vigilant monitoring by nodal officials.