‘Go now or face the bulldozer’ Calcutta tanners told
Tanners in
The ultimatum came after years of conflict between the tanners and the Indian authorities over the newly constructed Bantala tanning complex on the outskirts of the city. While the government has always contended that the Bantala complex has everything the tanners need, including a common effluent treatment plant, the tanners have shown a marked reluctance to move, saying they needed more time.
In announcing the latest deadline, Commerce and Industry Secretary Sabyasachi Sen refused to rule out the option of sending in the bulldozers, regardless of whether or not the premises were still being used. “Enough is enough,” he said. Of 670 tanneries (500 large and 170 small units) in
