Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Firecracker
The objective of the scheme is to provide safe and environment friendly echo system for manufacturing, storage & selling of green firecrackers & sparklers in the State of West Bengal.
GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL
Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Textiles
4, Abanindra Nath Tagore Sarani (7th Floor), Kolkata-700016
Memo No. 4771/18011(11)/13/2023 Dated: 18/11/2023
NOTIFICATION
WHEREAS the Governor is of the opinion that it is necessary to introduce a scheme which will facilitate to create safe, green and environment-friendly firecracker manufacturing industry involving lakhs of people in different districts of West Bengal and minimise the probability of unfortunate accidents in those clusters,
NOW, THEREFORE, the Governor is pleased to notify a new scheme in the State as under:-
The scheme may be called West Bengal Green Firecracker Manufacturing, Storage and Selling Scheme (hereinafter referred to as WBGFMSS)
The objective of the scheme is to provide safe and environment friendly echo system for manufacturing, storage & selling of green firecrackers & sparklers in the State of West Bengal thereby generating scope of safe and sustainable employment leading to stable livelihood, wealth creation and education of the next generation.
The scheme will come into force from the date of notification and will remain in force up to 5 years, if not withdrawn/amended/renewed by further notification in the official gazette.
In this Scheme, unless the context otherwise requires
(i) Firecracker Hub means any conglomeration of 10 or more micro/small units involved with manufacturing, or, storing, or selling, or combination of all these activities
(ii) Stakeholder means whoever involved with the activities above
(iii) SAIP means Scheme of Approved Industrial Park, 2020
(iv) Banglashree means the Incentive Scheme for the MSMEs in West Bengal
(v) PESO means Petroleum & Explosive Safety Organisation
(vi) NEERI means National Environmental Engineering Research Institute
(vii) Basic common infrastructure means land-filling, boundary wall, internal roads of 15 ft width, water storage & drainage.
(viii) Storage means Magazine also for storing manufactured firecrackers.
The entire State of West Bengal – both urban and rural area.
a) All licensed units working in the field of green fireworks encompassing manufacturing, selling, storing etc.
b) All licensed units adhering to the norms of Explosive Act and Rules 2008
c) All existing units desiring to adhere to such norms and intend to come under the scheme in a cluster mode.
The scheme shall have the provision of following benefits for the artisans/beneficiaries involved with Firecracker manufacturing, storing & selling hubs as per need and applicability.
(i) The Govt. of West Bengal in MSME & T Department with help of the Collectors in districts has identified / will identify vacant Govt. land and create the basic infrastructures including land-filling on those government lands and transfer the developed land to the SPV of the interested green firework clusters on 30 years lease with applicable land premium, rent etc. as may be approved by the State Government.
(ii) In case the stakeholders of any Hub come up with its own purchased land, they will themselves develop the necessary basic common infrastructures on it for catering to the need of the members of the Cluster. The MSME & T Department will get the project estimate prepared by the cluster vetted and will provide 90% of the project cost in 3 instalments (20% + 30% + 50%) on reimbursement basis. The 1st instalment will be released after completion of land-filling, boundary wall & internal road (if any). The 2nd instalment will be released after 80% of the land is allotted, power connection completed and drainage system installed. The final instalment will be released after all the units become operational on the land
(iii) If the stakeholders of a manufacturing green fireworks cluster identify a suitable government land of their choice for setting up of member units and approach the MSME & T Department for permission to start construction of all necessary infrastructure at their own cost, the Department will recommend the case for LTS at a token salami similar to that received from WBSIDCL. The lease rent will be fixed as per approved government valuation/norms.
(iv) A dedicated module will be pressed into service in the “Shilpa Sathi” portal of the State Government for online application for obtaining licence for manufacturing, storing & selling of Firecrackers/ sparklers and also for renewal of existing licenses for above activities
(v) Other benefits:
a) All eligible manufacturing units of green fireworks will be provided the fiscal benefits under Banglashree Scheme for which the Banglashree Scheme will be amended as & where necessary and the components of benefits will be provided as per the prevailing scheme.
b) All intending stakeholders of Firecracker Hubs requiring NEERI Training in green firecracker manufacturing will be sponsored by the State Government in MSME&T department. All training costs will be reimbursed to NEERI by the department.
c) During the run-up to festival seasons, temporary “selling hubs” may be identified and established by the District Magistrates in vacant areas (away from locality) to be identified from time to time. For this, the district level committees shall be competent to take the decision.
A State level PMU will be formed for providing the firecracker hubs the following supports:-
i) Applying online for getting licence for manufacturing, selling etc and renewal of the licenses
ii) Identification of Govt land / private land and subsequent land transferring process
iii) Preparation & vetting of the projects of infrastructure
iv) Examination & Recommendation of a proposal for fiscal benefits above
The performance of the scheme will be periodically monitored at the district level by a District level Firecracker Monitoring Committee. A State level Committee shall also be constituted for monitoring performance of the Scheme.
The District Level Committee will have following members-
(i) District Magistrate
(ii) Superintendent of Police
(iii) District Officer of Labour Dept
(iv) District Officer of Fire Service Dept
(v) District Officer of MSME&T Department (GM, DIC)
The State Level Committee will consist of –
(i) Chief Secretary, West Bengal
(ii) DG of Police, West Bengal
(iii) Additional Chief Secretary/ Principal Secretary, MSME & T Department
(iv) Additional Chief Secretary/ Principal Secretary, Fire & ES Department
(v) Additional Chief Secretary/ Principal Secretary, Labour Department
(vi) Land Reforms Commissioner & Secretary, Land & land Reforms Department
(vii) Representative of PESO in the State level
(viii) Representative of NEERI in the State Level
The above Committees may co-opt any officer, or, specialist as member of the Committee in the interest of the scheme
Notwithstanding anything contained in any of the provision of WBGFMSS for the fireworks manufacturers & traders in West Bengal, the State Govt. may at any time modify, vary, alter, amend, or withdraw any of the provisions made hereinabove in the Scheme and such modification, variations etc shall be effective from the date specified in the Order so made in this behalf.
The Scheme is notified with the concurrence of the Finance Department, vide, U.O. No. Gr. C/2023-2024/0047 dated 20/09/2023 and with approval of the State Cabinet in its 49th meeting held on 17/11/2023, vide Cabinet Sectt U.O. No. CAB(D)-837 dated 17/11/2023.
By order of the Governor
RAJESH PANDEY, IAS
Principal Secretary to the
Government of West Bengal