Today, a pre-budget meeting was held at Uttar Kanya to seek suggestions from various industry and business organizations across North Bengal for the West Bengal State Mid-Year Budget 2026. Laghu Udyog Bharati (LUB), North Bengal, actively participated in the consultation and submitted a comprehensive memorandum representing the aspirations and recommendations of its members.
The memorandum was presented under the leadership of LUB North Bengal President Shri Aditya Mitruka, along with Shri Bipin Syngal, State President; Shri Bharat Changia, State Treasurer; Shri Ramesh Agarwal; Shri Harish Agarwal; Shri Narendra Prasad; and Shri Piyush Kejriwal.
The memorandum outlined six key structural proposals aimed at accelerating industrial growth, generating employment opportunities, and leveraging North Bengal’s strategic geographical advantage as a gateway to neighboring states and international borders.
A major proposal was the establishment of a “North-East Gateway” Logistics Sandbox through the development of the Siliguri Multi-Modal Logistics Hub (SMMLH), supported by enhanced airport and railway connectivity and policy incentives to strengthen cross-border trade.
To unlock the value of North Bengal’s unique agricultural produce, LUB proposed GI-based export and micro-processing clusters for products such as Malda mangoes, Jalpaiguri pineapples, and Darjeeling–Kalimpong mandarin oranges and organic cardamom. The proposal also emphasized decentralized solar-powered processing units managed by Self-Help Groups under the Anandadhara initiative.
For the Dooars region, the memorandum recommended a community-driven eco-tourism model through the “Dooars Community Eco-Custodians” programme, focusing on local youth employment, hospitality training, nature-based tourism, and sustainable forest canopy trails.
Recognizing Siliguri’s emergence as a major healthcare destination for patients from Sikkim, Assam, Nepal, and Bhutan, LUB recommended its formal recognition as a Regional Medical and Wellness Tourism Hub with international patient facilitation services and incentives for advanced healthcare and wellness infrastructure.
The memorandum also highlighted the need for a dedicated Tea and Tea Tourism Policy to address the challenges faced by Darjeeling and Terai–Dooars tea gardens through research facilities, testing laboratories, and responsible tourism initiatives that support local communities.
In line with India’s clean energy transition, LUB further proposed the creation of plug-and-play industrial infrastructure for clean energy component manufacturing and assembly, while attracting investment through central government initiatives such as the UNNATI scheme.
This visionary memorandum reflects LUB North Bengal’s commitment to creating a sustainable, employment-oriented, and globally connected economic ecosystem, positioning North Bengal as a leading hub for industry, trade, agriculture processing, tourism, healthcare, and clean energy.
