HP to create industrial land bank : Dhumal

Shimla, May 31 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today said his government would consider creation of land banks in public-private participation for industrial expansion and development of the same with quality industrial infrastructure in the districts of Solan, Kanga and Una.

The Chief Minister announced this at the 31st meeting of the State Level Single Window Clearance and Monitoring Authority held here today under his chairmanship to provisionally approve the setting up of 10 new industrial proposals of medium and large scale industrial projects involving an investment of Rs 535.43 crore and generating employment to about 3,762 people.

Coslight India Telecom Private Ltd would be investing Rs 367 crore and provides employment to 2,050 people, he added.

The Chief Minister said the state government would be associating the private land owners in the identified industrial areas of the Solan, Kanga and Una districts to create land banks so that after consolidation of the land, planned development of the industrial areas could be carried.

It would also be beneficial in creation of quality industrial township infrastructure, he said and added that the state government would take every related aspect into consideration to protect the interests of the people of the area and carry the process after taking the local land owners into confidence.

Mr Dhumal said the state government would be extending all possible help for the development of a cluster of about 300 foot wear industrial units for setting up, preferably in district Sirmour, which was bound to generate employment to about 16,500 people initially with a vast investment estimated at Rs 10,620 crore and produce quality foot wear to meet the demand of the area.

The Small Scale Industrial Development Corporation would be identifying the suitable land for the purpose, besides industrial expansion the state government was also according priority to the cottage industry to generate self-employment avenues to the rural artisans, he said.

He said the state government would be considering authorising the concerned executive engineers of state electricity board to issue power availability certificate to the prospective entrepreneur with a view to simplify the procedure and save the time of the applicants from visiting state headquarters time and again.

The state government was discouraging high power consuming, low employment generating and polluting industrial units with a view to optimally utilise the land, power, water and other industrial infrastructure available for industrial expansion, he added. The Chief Minister emphasised the need to attract more investment by multinational companies while encouraging small and medium units by diverting them to the less utilised industrial areas in Kangra and Una districts.

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