Cottage and Small Scale Industries a resurrection under the left Front Government ( *'". ^ Small Scale & Cottage Industries are at once torch-bearers of the age-old tradition of West Bengal and means of subsistence of the village folk. The Left Front Government has therefore^ laid special emphasis on the development of Small Scale Industries through well-defined plans and projects. The upshot is that such registered industries^ 97000 in 1977, have gone up to 1,71,00ft in 1985. For ov^all developing of Small Scale Industries, in each of the 15 districts oF th^ Smte^ w^organised industrial centres are at work. At present 850 units are functioning at 30 Industrial Estates. These apart, in 7 districts, growth centres are coming up especially for the development of Small Scale Industries. Arrangements are afoot for imparting adequate technical knowhow and organising skill for management of industries. Loans extended to Small Scale ^Industries are progrcsshely un the increase and the amount of loan given'by the State Financial Corporation alone stands today at Rs 650 L^xkhs. The registered Electronic Industries in the State have increased to 150 at present from 56 in 1976-77. In the area of Handloom industries, the annual sale proceeds ofJRs. 2 crores in 1977 have reached Rs. 40 crores mark at present. The number of beneficiaries among the handloom workers through Co-operative Societies has increased from 30,000 to 90,000 In the sericultural zones, 10,000 acres of new land are being brought under mulberry cultivation per year And at preset, in all the other districts of the State barring Calcutta, Howrah and Hooghly cultivation of mulberry is in progress. The handicrafts of terra cotta of Bankura, clay models of Krishnagar and artefacts of bell-metal, leather, conch-shells and buffalo-horns of the other districts have been salvaged from decadence and proper arrangements for their rehabilitation and marketing ii^s been ^»ade. Under the aegis of the Viflagfe Pancteyats lh7 Sales Centres have been opened. Many Small Scale Industries have been set up through Government efforts and supervision Provisions o.tt there for extending loans and subsidies to the backward areas for expansion of industries Consequent on the pragmatic and welfare-oriented Industrial Policy of the Left Front Government more than a lakh youths have been provided with jobs last year. And thousands of wage-earners of villages have been freed from the cruel clutches of the money lenders. GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL IPB-6111