New Industrial Policy for N E states demanded

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Guwahati, Sep 13 (UNI) The eight North Eastern States have resolved to demand an exclusive Industrial policy with special packages and better incentives to attract more investors to the region for its economic development.

A meeting of the Industries and commerce Ministers of the Region was held here yesterday where a memorandum was prepared to be submitted to the Centre.

Stating this to newsmen here today, Asom Industries and Commerce Minister Pradyut Bordoloi said a delegation, comprising all the Industries ministers of the region, will meet the Prime Minister soon to handover the memorandum. The copies of the memorandum will also be submitted to the Finance Minister and Commerce and Industries Ministers for their appraisal.

The meeting felt that the incentives and special packages granted for the industrial development of the region was not sufficient to attract investors as the same packages has also been granted to some other advanced states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal among others.

''The North Eastern Region is located in such areas of the country which require special attention and packages from the Centre,'' Bordoloi said.

All the ministers felt that the present capital subsidy of Rs thirty lakhs granted to the investors was too small and should be enhanced up to Rs five crores. There should also be power subsidy among other new subsidies, they iterated.

Nagaland Industries Minister H. Khekiho Zhimoni felt that there should be special packages to the region to remove disparity and backwardness as economic development was the backbone for all round development of the region. ''An alternative Industrial policy should be granted to the N E Region'',he demanded.

Sikkim Industries Minister Ram Bahadur Subba said his state was included in the North Eastern Council only in 2002. Since then four medium scale industrialists had shown interests to set up their industries in Sikkim. But as the same packages and incentives were granted to Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal, located in better places compared to the N E, investors preferred to set up their industries in those states, he said.

Arunachal Pradesh Industries and Commerce Minister Lombo Tayeng also present in the press meet.

NE Industrial Policy was declared in 1997 rpt 1997 and its implementation started in 1999 only. In 2007 the policy would get expired.The Region wants that a new policy should be declared for the N E States with better incentives and packages for another ten years.

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