Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday inaugurated a slew of new projects and laid the foundation stone of many others at Asias first "Integrated Leather Complex" in Bantala, the completion of which would generate 5 lakh employment in the near future. She also allotted lands to many people for setting up their units. The state government announced a fresh allotment of 187 new tanneries in Bantala. It has allotted about 70 acre of additional land to the existing 202-acre complex. Terming the "Integrated Leather Complex" project as "Karma Diganta", Banerjee said her government has created a huge number of employment, higher than any state in the country. "After all the ongoing projects are completed at Karma Diganta, there will be a total of 5 lakh job opportunities that will be created here. It will see an investment of Rs 80,000 crore. Bengal holds the record of exporting the highest number of finished leather goods. Karma Diganta will be able to generate the worlds highest employment scope on completion," Banerjee asserted. The Chief Minister criticised the Centre for its failure to create jobs. Around two crore people have become jobless during the tenure of the present government at the Centre while Bengal managed to bring down the unemployment by 40 percent, Banerjee stated. Some IT industries which are still there in the adjacent areas would be shifted so that the entire area can be utilised for the Integrated Leather Complex that will emerge as Indias biggest modern leather hub. The Chief Minister further said that her government has already set up infrastructure, roads to make the project a big success. She also mentioned that many tannery owners from Kanpur have shifted their business to Bengal and many others are contacting the state government expressing their desire to move their units here. "Our government has announced special concessions for those tannery owners who are shifting their units in the state from Uttar Pradesh. After demonetisation, we have received several such requests. Those from Bengal who are willing to buy plots at the Integrated Leather Complex will also be given incentives. They will be given plots at low rates. The project is an asset to the state," said Banerjee while addressing the inauguration programme. The Chief Minister also instructed the local administration to cover the entire area with CCTVs and to set up a monitoring cell to ensure the smooth running of the complex. She also proposed to construct a bus stop after the same name as the project at Bantala. The area would be connected to other parts of South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas and Kolkata through more bus routes. She inaugurated the leather goods park and the training services centre. Six buses were handed over to the Calcutta Leather Complex authorities for ferrying its employees from one place to another. She also laid the foundation of a footwear park, a micro tanners hub spread over 10 acres, a secured landfill site for solid waste management, a sewerage treatment plant and a leather scrap burner to check pollution.

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