Rajbiraj, July 17:

Most of the industries in Gajendra Narayan Singh Industrial District (GNSID) of Rajbiraj in Saptari have been closed due to lack of industrial environment in the district.

Although there were 10 industries, hardly two industries are operating at present.

Lack of transport, supply of raw materials, and lack of market has forced the closure of Sara-swoti Metal Industry, Plywood Factory, Nim Ayur-ved Industry and Sangrilla Cottage and S and Electronic said Basir Ali, deputy chief at the GNSID management office.

Only Deepak Plastics and Deepak Polymer are currently operational. The S and Electronic Pvt Ltd was closed by Nepal Industrial Development Corporation (NIDC), as it failed to pay its loans since last six years.

The industrial district spread in 294 ropanis of land has ten industrial buildings and 18 other buildings. Eight of the industrial buildings are empty, said Basir.

Office chief and 11 staff have been getting salaries from the Balaju Industrial District after the industries started closing here, an employee said. The industrial district was established in 2044 BS with the Indian cooperation and was handed over to Nepal in 2051 BS.

The industrial district was later named Gajendra Narayan Singh Industrial District last year with the decision of the cabinet.

“It is a big loss for the district as a whole,” said Bijaya Kumar Das, general secretary at Saptari Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It could not run because of the lack of industrial environment despite electricity, water and telephone facilities, said Pramod Sharma, proprietor of the Sangrilla Cottage Industry.

Industrialists said they abandoned the industries, as the government could not exempt fares and give other facilities when they faced losses.

“Lack of contact with India, difficulty in bringing raw materials and increasing insecurity have hit the industrial district,” they said.