NEIP has turned entire Assam into an SEZ

Guwahati, Aug 9 (UNI) Assam Government today declared that the new North East Industrial Policy(NEIP) has virtually turned the entire state into a Special Economic Zone(SEZ).

In a desperate plea to attract investment amidst daily incidents of bombing and killings, state Industry Minister Pradyut Bordoloi informed the state assembly today that despite the absence of any such proposal from the Centre, the NEIP had turned the whole state into a similar status.

The NEIP had given the industries in Assam and the region a host of incentives but only a few industries were taking its due advantage and most of them were assembling units of fast moving consumer goods.

Mr Bordoloi said that the state government had been promoting investment in the state. However, there had been no substantial investment in the state. In fact, few had dared to set up industries like Hindustan Lever and Dharampal Satyapal group, who had been, for some time now, facing labour as well as power problems.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is not very keen to turn the entire state into an SEZ apprehending negative reaction from the farmers, Mr Bordoloi said.

The chief minister had toured both the US and the UK in search of investment but his tour failed to bear any positive result, he added.

Presenting the state of industrialization in the state, Mr Bordoloi said there are 27,913 small-scale industries and 395 middle level industries of Assam. There are, however, no big industries in Assam in the private sector.

Mr Bordoloi, who also holds the charge of power department, said that Assam needs 850 MW during the peak hours and 500 MW in off peak hours.

The state generates 200 MW of their own and imports 566MW from NEEPCO and 24.5MW from the private sector. He espressed hopes that power situation would improve once the Lakwa 20 MW gas station became functional again.

An MoU has also been signed to enhance the gas feed from Oil India Limited (OIL) and another 90 MW was also expected from that.

Furthermore, under a long-term scheme, a large number of Hydel and gad-based projects were under various stages of implementation which would provide another 865 MWs to the state by 2012.

UNI