The Haryana government will set up a ‘Footwear-Leather’ cluster on about 500 acres of land in Rohtak, the deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala said on Monday.

The minister said training will also be given to the students of ITI institutes around Rohtak city by connecting them with the footwear industry so that the industrialists of leather industry can get skilled youth at the local level and youth can get employment near their homes.

Presiding over a joint-meeting of MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) addressing officers and office bearers of Footwear Industry Association, Chautala, who also holds the charge of industries and commerce department, said, “Haryana government is extending a lot of facilities to the industrialists in the state so that they do not face any problem in running their industries, due to which local youth will also get employment opportunities.”

He said in Rohtak, the state government will form a ‘Footwear-Leather’ cluster in an area of about 500 acres, in which industrialists will be helped in every way. As soon as about two dozen industries are commissioned, a Common Service Centre will be made in a year so that industrialists can get ease in their work.

Chautala also said a centre of excellence related to leather will also be set up to help the industrialists of the leather industry in the state. He assured to build a labour-hostel near the ‘Footwear-Leather’ cluster so that the labourers working there do not face any problem in commuting to the industry.

Chautala said in the last few years, investors are coming forward to set up industries in the state, as the government has taken several major steps to improve the industrial environment, due to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi also recently honoured Haryana for the remarkable work done in the field of MSME.

In this field, where the state has got the third position at the national level, Haryana has been ranked in the top achievers’ category in the fifth edition of ‘State Ease of Doing Business’ released by the Union ministry of commerce and industry, which is a matter of pride for any state.

He said Haryana government’s commitment to provide a conducive ecosystem to the industries has resulted in Haryana getting excellent ranking in ease of doing business, ease of logistics and export readiness. In addition, the state has been ranked first in the Export Readiness Index (Land Closed Category)-2021 and second in the ‘Logistics  Across Different Status Survey’-2021.