Tanners on Sunday renewed their demands including bank loan at easy terms and lower interest rates while the government urged them to start shifting process to the Savar Tannery Estate gearing up the relocation process.
Newly-appointed Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu urged them to form a working committee with representatives from both the government and the industry owners. The committee will supervise the progress of relocation process of tanneries and solve the problems of the entrepreneurs at administrative level, he added.
The minister was speaking as the chief guest at a discussion meeting on 'Development of Leather Estate, Relocation of Tannery Units and Accelerating the Development Process of Footwear and Leathergoods Sector' at a city hotel. The Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leathergoods and Footwear Exporter's Association (BFLLFEA) organised the discussion meeting.
Lawmaker Fazle Noor Taposh was present as the special guest while Industries Secretary Moinuddin Abdullah and the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) Chairman Shyam Sundor Sikder also spoke.
Mr Amu offered the tanners to acquire another 200 acres of land adjacent to the present project area for those who did not get plots at the first phase. He also assured the entrepreneurs of relaxing the rules of constructing factories leaving 33 per cent area following the National Building Code (NBC). He agreed that the condition is not logical for the factories but for residential projects.
The minister told the association leaders that there is no complicacy at the Industries Ministry but there may be something in other relevant ministries in implementing the tannery relocation process.
"You start shifting your units to Savar and we will acquire more lands simultaneously for those who did not get plots," said the minister. He urged the entrepreneurs to cooperate with the government for the sake of national interest to shift the present tannery units to the eco-friendly tannery estate at Savar to save the potential leather sector.
According to the government, only 25 designs out of total 50 plot winners were finalised while more than 100 tanners even did not submit any layout design for setting up factories there. Construction of administrative buildings, police outposts, culverts, fire brigade stations, and a pump house in the project area has been completed.
Also deep tubewells, drains, water lines, electricity lines and gas lines have been installed.
Industries Secretary Moinuddin Abdullah said there is no debate over relocation of the tannery from Hazaribagh.
The present project was initiated in 2003 at a cost of Tk 1.75 billion which increased eight times making it Tk 10.78 billion. The project duration was also extended three times until 2016.
"Please you complete shifting by 2014 and help complete the project in time. The more you delay, the more we will be behind in protecting our environment risking the exports," said the Secretary.
BCIC Chairman Shyam Sundor said his corporation has finalised the appointment of consultants for constructing the Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP). The designs of the CETP submitted by the contactors will be finalised in the board meeting today (Monday).
He emphasised on construction of factories and CETP simultaneously. He also urged them to submit the layout plans immediately.
