Hope of revival of the only industry in Boudh - a tannery of Odisha Leather Corporation - has fizzled out with the unit being handed over to a private entrepreneur.
The tannery spread over 2.85 acres of land has been sold at `54.50 lakh to a local entrepreneur. The tannery was put for auction on September 26 following order of the Debt Recovery Tribunal with a minimum upset price of `30 lakh.
The matter came to light a week later and it is said that the area will be put to use for some other purpose. This has, however, not gone down well with the locals.
Tannery industry in the district dates back to the British era. The then Boudh king Narayan Prasad Deb had set up the tannery to manufacture shoes in 1922.
The plant was then spread over four acres of land and equipped with state of art facilities. Since there was no electricity, generators were used and artisans from
Kanpur, Kolkata, Bihar, Chattisgarh and Maharashtra were roped in to train local cobblers. Both finished products and tanned leather were sent form here to all over the country. But after Independence, the tannery was taken over by the Odisha Leather Corporation and mismanagement coupled with lack of Government support resulted in down slide of the tannery. Flood of 1982 caused further damage and it had to be shut down in 1985.
Those working in the tannery moved the court to get their dues and locals demanded that it should be revived in order to provide employment to local youths.
Although the industry could have been revived with a very little investment, the decision of the State Government not to support it led to its closure. The locals said the State Government could have started leather technology course here.