Britannia halts operations of its Taratala factory in Kolkata

Britannia Industries has announced that its Taratala factory in Kolkata has put a halt to all operations and its permanent workers have opted for voluntary retirement (VRS).

The Taratala factory had been operational for over seven decades and was one of Britannia’s oldest biscuit manufacturing units, established in 1947. As per reports, production at the factory had ceased over 20 days ago.

Britannia in a statement shared that the cessation will have “no material impact on the business operations of the company.”

The closure of the Taratala factory follows a similar closure of Britannia’s other old factories in Mumbai and Chennai.

The land for the factory is on lease from the Kolkata Port Trust and was renewed in 2018 for another 30 years, reported Business Today.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has blamed the TMC-led West Bengal government for the closing of the factory. BJP functionary Amit Malviya attributed the factory's “demise” to the combined impact of the CPI(M)’s 'Unionbaji' during the Left regime and the TMC’s ‘Tolabaji’ (extortion), reports stated.

"Today's shutdown of Britannia Industries' factory starkly epitomizes the descent of Bengal—a region once renowned for its cultural richness and intellectual prowess—into profound disarray,” Malviya said on X.

He added, "The Britannia factory, once a beacon of industrial vitality in Bengal, suffered significant attrition during the Left regime due to the CPI(M)’s pervasive ‘Unionbaji’. TMC’s relentless ‘Tolabaji’ was the final nail in the coffin.”

Additionally, Malviya also raised his concerns over West Bengal’s employment situation, citing the factory’s closure. He said, "Bengal, already mired in severe unemployment exacerbated by the TMC’s extortion and syndicate, now faces an even more dire predicament with the factory’s closure, triggering massive layoffs.”