‘Make Uttarakhand your workplace’: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami interacts with industry representatives in Delhi

According to a statement issued by the state information department, the CM also held discussions with FICCI and CII and took their suggestions. He said that the Uttarakhand government is giving all kinds of facilities to the entrepreneurs who are the brand ambassadors of the state.

During the dialogue, representatives of various industries gave their suggestions and agreed to invest in the state.

CM Dhami said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of making the country’s economy USD 5 trillion. “Keeping this in mind, Uttarakhand has launched the ‘Shashkt Uttarakhand Mission’ to strengthen the state’s economy, under which a target has been set to double the state’s GSDP in the next 5 years. Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit-2023 is being organised towards achieving this goal,” the CM stated.

He said that the investor-centric policies of the state, investment in infrastructure, availability of skilled manpower and good governance have laid the foundation for a healthy investment climate in the state.

The State Institute for Empowering and Transforming Uttarakhand (SETU) has been set up on the lines of NITI Aayog for better planning structure, effective policy making, promotion of innovations and inter-departmental coordination and monitoring and evaluation of development works.

The Chief Minister said that like the central government, the state government is also taking action to remove or replace unnecessary Acts. “So far about 1,250 such Acts have been identified, out of which about 500 Acts are being repealed through Single Repeal Act. Procedures are being simplified by the state government to provide better and time-bound facilities to the investors. Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development Board (UIIDB) has been formed to create infrastructure facilities in the state and attract investors,” CM Dhami said.

Dhami claimed that rapid development works have been done in every field in Uttarakhand in the last nine years, under the guidance of PM Modi.

“The work on Char Dham All Weather Road is going on at a fast pace. Work on the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail line is progressing at a fast pace. Uttarakhand, also known as the spiritual capital of India, is also a best destination for film shoots,” he said.

He said that along with the “ease of doing business” there is “peace of doing business” in the state. The incidents of labour unrest are negligible in the industries operating in Uttarakhand, and the loss of manpower in industries due to labour unrest is the lowest in the country, said Dhami. He also claimed that the crime rate in Uttarakhand is 22 per cent, less than the national average.

Chief Minister Dhami said that in the Export Preparedness Index for the year 2022 released by NITI Aayog, Uttarakhand ranks first among the Himalayan states, while it ranks ninth in the entire country.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Uttarakhand, has been included in the State Achievers category in the LEADS (Logistics Ease Across Different States) ranking for the year 2022.

Similarly, startups are included in the ‘Leader’ category in the ranking. A dedicated ‘Investor Facilitation Cell’ has been established at the Directorate of Industries level for investment promotion and promotion in the state, which provides dedicated handholding support as a “one stop shop” for investors/businessmen. The facility of a dedicated relationship manager is available for entrepreneurs with capital investment of more than Rs.5.00 crore. Online Single Window Clearance Portal http://www.investuttarakhand.uk.gov.in has been set up.

CM Dhami said that industrialisation has accelerated in Uttarakhand after 2003 due to the special industrial package approved by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “Three big industrial parks have been set up in the state. The policy framework of the state includes Tourism Policy-2023, MSME Policy-2023, Startup Policy-2023, Logistics Policy-2023, Policy-2023 for establishment of private industrial sectors,” he explained.

The CM said that the government has promulgated 27 policies in various fields, all of which are “investor friendly and attractive” compared to other states.

At present, the government has set up a land bank of about 6,000 acres for the establishment of industries, said CM Dhami.

“Along with this, Policy-2023 has been implemented for setting up private industrial estates to ensure availability of necessary land for industries. If 80 per cent of the land is purchased by the entrepreneur for setting up industry in the private sector and there is an obstacle in purchasing the remaining land, then the land will be acquired and made available by the state government,” he said.