Indonesian company to invest in Bengal pisciculture

Kolkata, Nov 2 (UNI) The West Bengal Government today invited Indonesian Salim Group for participation in pisciculture opening up prospects of maiden foreign investment in the state's burgeoning fishery industry.

At a meeting with Salim Group Chairman Benny Santoso, West Bengal Fisheries Minister Kirnamoy Nanda invited the company to develop a fish farm on a 10,000 acre plot at Amta in Howrah district involving an approximate investment of Rs ten crore.

" Their response is very positive. They have evinced interest in both pisciculture and exporting fish," Mr Nanda told reporters.

The Salim Group has already invested in a motor cycle production centre at Uluberia in Hooghly district and proposed participation in a Special Economic Zone, a health city and development of physical infrastructure.

The Minister said the state Government would provide technology support to the proposed project which was expected to generate direct and indirect employment for 30,000 people.

Mr Nanda said though the state was number one in the country in fish production at 12 lakh tons per annum, there had been deficit in supply to the domestic market. The project was aimed at offsetting the deficit as well as augmenting the export volume, he said.

UNI KDG KK RN1815