The government has initiated the process to build a new industrial estate in Surkhet. The industrial area is being established as part of the government’s plan to build at least one industrial estate in each of the seven provinces in the country. Surkhet falls in Province Number 6.

Industrial District Management Limited (IDML), a state-owned company which oversees all industrial areas in the country, has already selected the land required for the industrial estate. According to IDML Chair and General Manager Nanda Kishore Basnet, more than 730 hectares of land has been identified at Satakhani for project development.

As there was scarcity of land at Birendranagar, the headquarter of Surkhet district, IDML choose the land at Satakhani. The Community Forest user group in the area has agreed to award land to the company for the development of the estate.

The company has also started the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the project. IDML is spending Rs 50 million to prepare the EIA and detailed project report (DPR) of the project. The construction of the industrial estate in Surkhet will not only contribute toward the development of district, but also the overall development of Province Number 6, according to Prakash Adhikari, President of Surkhet Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

The industrial estate will be a milestone to start processing agricultural products and herbs produced in the region as well as provide employment to people of the region.

“In order to consume electricity generated from Bheri Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project and Upper Karnali Hydroelectric Project, there is no other alternative but to build a large industrial estate in the district,” Adhikari said, “Furthermore,  the industrial estate will help to consume the herbs produced in our own province.”

According to IDML Chief Basnet, the development of industrial estate at Satakhani will go smoothly as the government has already allocated the budget for it. He pointed out the need for establishing autonomous authority for the development and management of the industrial estates all over the country. “We have already submitted the proposal on that regard to the government,” he said, “Similarly, we have demanded separate budget to renovate the older industrial estates.”

The first industrial area in Nepal was established at Balaju in Kathmandu in 1960 through the support of the US government.

Currently, there are 11 industrial areas in the country: Balaju, Patan, Hetauda, Dharan, Nepalgunj, Pokhara, Butwal, Bhaktapur, Birendranagar, Rajbiraj and Dhankuta. However, the industrial area in Dhankuta has not come into operation yet.

Recently, the government initiated the process of establishing an industrial area in Shaktikhor of Chitwan. A Cabinet meeting held on February 14 approved a decision to set up the industrial area in Chitwan.  This industrial area will be encompass nearly 401 hectares of land.