Investment in HP crosses Rs 20,000 crore: CM

Shimla, Aug 27 (UNI) With the Himachal Pradesh government granting formal permission to 42 new industrial units to set up their base in the state, the total investment in the state during the last three years has crossed Rs 20,000 crore.

The proposals were cleared in the 23rd meeting of the Single Window Clearance and Monitoring Authority, which met under the chairmanship of State Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh here yesterday.

The proposed new industrial units have also brought in Rs 758.37 crore investment with a potential to provide employment to 5,334 youth of the state.

With this, the total investment in the state during the last three and a half years has reached Rs 20,331.81 crore with a potential to provide employment to 2,78,068 people in the industrial sector of the state.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Singh expressed his gratitude to the Centre for extending the industrial package by another three years to March 31, 2010 from March 31, 2007, and urged the Centre to extend the period up to March 31, 2013.

He said the package to Himachal should be at par with the rest of Special Category States and up to 2013.

The government has created the Nalagarh, Baddi and Barotiwala Special Industrial Area Development Authority for planned and systematic development of the industrial areas, he said, adding that its duties and responsibilities were being finalised.

The chief minister said the government would be more selective in permitting new units in Himachal, and polluting and environmentally hazardous industries would be discouraged from investing in the state.

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