Pvt sector to play an important role in HP industry

BADDI (HP), August 17: With a view to providing the industry with congenial atmosphere for growth, Himachal Pradesh's new industrial poli...

BADDI (HP), August 17: With a view to providing the industry with congenial atmosphere for growth, Himachal Pradesh’s new industrial policy would focus on infrastructure development, in which the private sector would also get an important role.

Stating this in an exclusive interview with The Indian Express here yesterday, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said that instead of offering incentives, the policy would aim at providing better atmosphere for the growth of industry. This was necessary "to keep a check on such entrepreneurs as came to the state only to grab the benefits of subsidy etc and then run away".

Besides providing better roads, sewerage, education and health, the state planned to take steps to provide power on the asking. An attempt was also being made to curb red-tapism. Elaborating the point, Dhumal said that it was proposed to assign one top officer the task of completing the formalities involved in setting up big units.

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"This would help take care of a number of problems and cross the hurdles faced by new entrepreneurs. The officer would help the unit come up at the earliest", he said, adding that "the endeavour is to save time in setting up new units".

Dhumal said that the focus of the new policy would be to promote eco-friendly units, especially the food processing industry, which could use and process the raw material available in the state. Efforts would be made to promote employment opportunities for the Himachalis, he said in the new units proposed to be set up in the state.

The Chief Minister said that the state had already extended the income tax holiday to all new units in the state up to 2,000.