To boost small and medium-scale industries, the State Govt has expedited steps for establishment of Imported Wood Cluster in Odisha.
Addressing a combined workshop of Govt officials, entrepreneurs and industry association, Chief Secretary BK Patnaik said, “Odisha has traditional skills in wood carving and wood craftsmanship and there is a huge demand for wood based products. The Govt is ready to provide all facilities for the purpose as soon as the anchor investors come forward to drive the process,” said Patnaik.
He asked the Forest & Environment and MSME Dept to prepare a comprehensive proposal and move the Central Empowered Committee for development of this cluster. The workshop revealed that phase-I of the project has been proposed to be started at Paradip over 500 acres of land which would provide alternative to wood working industries to import wood from outside, which in turn, would meet wood requirement of people without disturbing natural forests of the State.
This apart, it was also proposed to set up five large saw mills, 20 small saw mills, 10 plywood mills, 10 large processing factories and 50 small processing factories, which in total would process 1,600 cbm of timber.
International expert in wood industries Ramu Ramakrishnan said Odisha, being located on the eastern coast, is nearer to the exporting countries like Malaysia and Newzealand and because of the port facilities recently developed in Odisha, the finished products can be marketed in the northern, eastern and part of southern regions of India.