The GJEPC yesterday hosted a meeting with senior officials of various government departments to discuss the proposal for setting up the “Mumbai Jewellery Park” (MJP) to facilitate development of a modern centralised infrastructure for gold jewellery manufacture in close proximity to the city. The upcoming MJP is a mega-project taken up by the GJEPC Western Region.

This was the first time that the representatives of the trade were interacting at the same time with all the concerned officials from different government agencies.

The meeting was attended by Shri Apurva Chandra, Principal Secretary (Industry); Shri Sanjay Sethi, CEO MIDC; Shri Vijay Singhal, Development Commissioner (Industry) and other officials, as well as trade members Shri Praveenshankar Pandya, Shri Mehul Shah, Shri Ashok Gajera, Shri Mansukhbhai Kothari and others. Shri Sabyasachi Ray and Dr Jitarani Udgata were among the GJEPC officials who participated.

In depth discussions were held about the format, procedures, policies and other requirements for ensuring that the MJP is successfully executed. The requirements in terms of approval from different departments were also put forward by the trade.

Shri Pandya said that both the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Maharshtra had encouraged the industry to go ahead with this project. He added that this would be the ffirst of its kind for gold jewellery, and if successful, it could be replicated acorss other states as well.

The Principal Secretary assured the trade that each of the concerned bodies would provide all necessary support for the project. He stressed that notonly would it lead to the betterment of gold manufacturers, but it would also help to reduce migration, protect traditional & culture-based skills and encourage the next generation to enter the profession. It would also boost the self-esteem of the artisans by providing them with a sophisticated world class working environment.

Subsequently, the officials went around the BDB to get a better understanding of the model proposed for the MJP.

Pic Caption: Government officials and industry representatives at the meeting