Extend industrial package for HP till 2013: MP

Shimla, June 5 (UNI) The industrial package for Himachal Pradesh should be extended till 2013 at par with other special category states for speedy industrialisation and providing more employment opportunities to the educated youth of the state, Lok Sabha MP from Mandi constituency of the state Pratibha Singh said.

The central excise exemption provided under the industrial package to the state should be extended beyond March 2007 for increasing the pace of industrialisation in the state, she told UNI.

The industrial package, which was earlier extended up to 2013 for HP and Uttaranchal, was brought down to March 31, 2007 after the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana opposed it, lamenting that all the industries were shifting to Himachal.

Ms Singh said Himachal should not be discriminated in the extension of industrial package, which was being extended to other special category states.

The extension was also necessary since several industrial units had set up their bases in the state under the impression that the package was up till 2013, she said.

''The issue was also raised with UPA President Sonia Gandhi during my discussions with her recently and she has promised to look into the matter,'' she said.

The package was first provided to the special category states by the NDA Government about three years ago to attract industries to the state.

It helped the state to attract 7,000 new industrial units with an estimated investment of Rs 17,000 crore since 2003 when the Central Tax package was implemented.

A top official source had earlier indicated that the industrial package to the state was likely to be extended till 2010 and an announcement to this effect was likely to be made soon.

Ms Singh also expressed concern over the rising prices of essential commodities, saying the prices were sky rocketing beyond the control of the common man.

UNI AS HS CS VV1159