DHANKUTA: A total of 537 industries have been registered in the hilly Dhankuta district of Province 1 in the fiscal year 2019/20.

According to Cottage and Small Industry Office, Dhankuta Branch, various industries — manufacturing and producing, agriculture and forest, tourism, service-providing, cottage and small industries — have been registered.

By mid-July 2019, 394 industries related to agriculture and forest, 162 service-providing industries, 26 manufacturing industries and 62 tourism industries were registered, chief of Cottage and Small Industry Office, Dhankuta branch, Dinesh Dhungana said and added that youths and migrant workers who have returned home after engaging in foreign employment are among the majority who registered the industries.

Meanwhile, the industry office has predicted 20 per cent growth in employment and 45 per cent in income this fiscal and next fiscal as compared to the previous fiscal 2018/19.

In the last fiscal year, industries established in Dhankuta had the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) capacity of Rs 1.15 billion.

A total of Rs 1.85 billion has been invested in 537 industries in Dhankuta. According to official statistics, with the registration of new industries, there are altogether 2,737 industries, which is the highest number among the hilly districts of Koshi Zone.

With the increase in the number of industries, migration to Tarai and foreign countries — in search of jobs — has been predicted to drop.

In order to provide effective services, the government has adjusted the previous Cottage and Small Industry Development Committee, Dhankuta Main Branch Office with local level and established Cottage and Small Industry, Dhankuta Branch. Previously, the office used to be the main branch office dealing with industries in hilly districts of Koshi.