-Chandrakala Bhandari
Buddhanagar, August 11: The Mechinagar municipality of Jhapa district, which has direct trade ties with India, Bhutan and Bangladesh, is being evolved into an industrial hub in the eastern part of the country. The easiness and facilities of transportation, banking and favorable environment for securing investment among other factors have contributed to transforming this municipality into an industrial hub.
There are many old and new industries at Jyamirgadhi and Duhagadi areas which have augmented the trade-related activities and helped in job creations for the locals. Opening of posh hotels, casinos, and recreational parks, among others are in the offing. The Mansa Thai Foods Pvt Ltd has manufacturing instant noodles.
The industry set up at the cost of Rs 2 billion provides employment to more than 50 locals, according to proprietor Buddhi Ghimire. Likewise, around a dozen of plywood industries including Sanjivani and Siddhartha are set up with a huge investment, creating jobs to hundreds of unemployed locals. This municipality houses the highest number of cement industries in the eastern part of the country. Himalayas, Sunrise, Mega and Gorakhkali Industries have been hugely catering to the needs of cement in State 1. More than 500 people have got jobs in the cement industries.
Although a lot of Indian technical experts come to try their luck with these cement industries, the proprietors here prioritize the local human resources for labor. Sunrise and Himalayas Cement Industries General Manager Amit Poddar shared that Sunrise Cement has been manufacturing 1.5 metric tonnes of cement annually while the Himalayas produces 75,000 metric tonnes cement yearly. Likewise, the industries manufacturing the poultry feed have been mushrooming lately in this locality. Take, for instance, the Valley Agro Feeds Pvt Ltd, that was established some three months ago with the capital of Rs 450 million, produces around 10 metric tonnes of poultry feed and food per hour for the cattle.
Subash Niraula, the poultry proprietor, spoke of the need to curb the illegal import of egg and chicken from India as he said Nepal was already self-reliant in the poultry production. Similarly, the Asian Footwear Pvt Ltd at Mechninagar-10 has been producing around 5,000 footwear on a daily basis. Established at the cost of Rs 100 million, the enterprises employ 67 locals, according to its proprietor Chabi Poudel.
Mechi Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s President Rishi Timalsina said the entrepreneurs were attracted to Mechinagar municipality for running their business as there was a favorable environment for investment and safety for investors. He reasoned that the vicinity of the customs office to import raw materials from India and other favorable factors attributing to making this place suitable for industries.
A total of 384 commercial forms were registered in the last fiscal year, according to the Mechi Chamber of Commerce and Industries. More and more industries were in the process of opening, according to Timalsina. Many banks and financial institutions (BFIs) have also marked their presence in this place given the increasing volume of transactions. These BFIs have been promoting investment in the industries. RSS
