UT forwards industrial policy draft to Shivraj Patil

In the draft policy, there is an emphasis on promotion of information technology sector in the city. The expansion of micro, small and medium-scale enterprises is also emphasised.

Among the activities proposed to be promoted are software development and hardware manufacturing, knowledge-based industry, furniture items, pharmaceuticals, electronic items and paper and paper products.

The thrust of the administration is proposed to be on promoting clean, energy-efficient, low volume and high value-added industries. The administration is likely to allow more activities to industrialists under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had directed the UT Administration for implementation of the MSMED Act in the city. While the demand had been there for some time, the administration had not taken a decision. The MHA had directed that the administration should prepare an industrial policy, keeping in view the Act.

UT Advisor K K Sharma said that the draft of the policy had been sent to the administrator. “He will be discussing the modalities with officials. Thereafter, the policy will be finalised,” said Sharma.

The administration had earlier allowed conversion of land use in Industrial Area. Some industrialists paid huge sums of money for converting the land use of industrial plots for commercial use. These industrialists are objecting to the administration allowing such activities under the MSMED Act. They claim that if these activities are to be allowed without paying conversion fee then their money should be returned. The administration is likely to take a decision on the activities that could be allowed under the MSMED Act without a clash of interest.

Entrepreneur Pankaj Khanna says, “It is high time that the administration finalised the industrial policy. For more than two decades, there has been no policy in place to regulate the Industrial Area spread over 1,500 acres. In a dynamic environment, it is imperative to have a system in place to keep up with the changing demands of trade.”