Centre to review revamp of PSUs

CHANDIGARH, May 19: The restructuring of the Public Sector Undertakings is under the active consideration of the Centre with drastic changes...

CHANDIGARH, May 19: The restructuring of the Public Sector Undertakings is under the active consideration of the Centre with drastic changes to be introduced within the next six months.

Addressing a news conference here today after inaugurating a single window service launched by the Punjab industries department, Union Minister of State for Industries Sukhbir Singh Badal said only 12 of these 48 PSUs were making profits. The effort would be to make these units viable. Citing the example of the HMT having several units in diverse fields from watches to tractors, he said some of these units were running into losses while others were earning huge profits.

Sukhbir Singh said besides seeking private investment in joint ventures for these PSUs, the government would welcome investment by the multinationals. The government would take a policy decision regarding the units incurring losses after a thorough review keeping in view the financial crunch.

He felt that the talk of sanctions against the country following the nuclear blasts would not have much impact on the flow of private foreign investment. He said the hue and cry being raised by some countries against these tests would be over with the next two or three weeks.

Clarifying the stand of the Akali Dal on the blasts, he asserted, 8220;We stand by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and congratulated him after the tests8221;. He said as a representative from Punjab in the Cabinet at the Centre, he was keen for the development of infrastructure in the state including roads and power, besides the setting up of large industrial units.

He said the HMT would set up a tractor unit at Mohali and Gujrat Ambujas would invest about Rs 100 crore in a fly ash based cement plant to be set up at Bathinda. He said the Punjab government was committed to the industrialisation of the state under the leadership of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and had taken various steps in this direction.

He is also seeking the help of industrial houses to set up professional colleges in the state as trained manpower and latest technology are the basic components for industrial development.

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Under the single window clearance system, the clearances would be granted within a fixed time frame. In case of marginally polluting green category units, the clearance would be granted within 15 days. This period would be one month for moderately polluting green category industry. The no objection certificate for red category industry would also be granted within one month.

The units with a load of 20KW would get power connection within eight weeks after compliance of demand notice. In case of power connection upto 99KW, this period would be 12 weeks. The power connection upto 11KVA would be released within 90 days after the compliance of demand notice.

The locational clearance under the Factories Act for hazardous units would be granted within two months of the submission of the application.

Ramesh Inder Singh, Secretary, Industries, said the state government was formulating a new land allotment policy for the entrepreneurs.