Rs. 82.22 crore was being spent over improvement of National Highway No. 1 to facilitate the entrepreneurs as the State Government was committed to protect the interests of industrialists by providing them efficient transparent corruption free environment. This was stated by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, in an interactive session held with the entrepreneurs of Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Industries Association at Baddi industrial area of District Solan .
Chief Minister said that good roads were pre requisite for development besides other required industrial inputs. He said added attention was being paid towards the industrial growth. He said that a silent revolution was taking place in the State since the per capita income which was Rs. 650 in year 1971 had crossed mark of Rs. 58,000, State Gross Domestic Product which was 223 crore in 1971 has gone up to Rs. 52,000 crore Annual Plan was only Rs. 17 crore and now at Rs. 3300 crore and literacy was 31% in 71 which has now increased to 84%. He said that it all had been possible due to the sustained developmental activities taking place in the State. He appealed to the industrialists to land them supportive hand for sustainable development so that State could grow speedily. He said that a multi specialty Medical College and Hospital would be opened in greed field in industrial area in near future.
Prof. Dhumal said that 27 meetings of State level Single Window Clearance and Monitoring Committee had been held. He said that 165 new proposals had been cleared. He said that additional land had been acquired at Dabhota to be handed over to Industries for onward allotment to industrialists. Local barrier was modernized at a cost of Rs. 1.5 crore. He said that the State would again take up industrial package issue with Government of India to extend the same upto 2020 to compensate the damages caused. He said that gas pipeline issues, rail connectivity by extending Kalka line through industrial area. He said that State would be spending Rs. 2 crore Lodhi-Majra and Baddi parking development. He said that State had lowest power tariff.
Chief Minister said that the State Government had created a separate police and excise district to facilitate industrialists besides opening revenue, pollution control, drug controllers offices locally. He said that the road network had been improved and had also raised the issue with the Haryana counterpart to improve effected road in respective State. He said that Baddi-Manpura National Highway had been improved by spending Rs. 9.5 crore over the same. He said that although maintenance of National Highways was Center’s responsibility but keeping in view the urgency the State Government had provided Rs. 55 crore out of its own funds. He added that Nalagarh-Pinjour National Highway was being improved at a cost of Rs. 40.82 crore.
Prof. Dhumal cautioned the entrepreneurs not to get misled while purchasing land on General Power of Attorney (GPA) as such land holders, who were not legally authorized to sell the land. He said that the State Government would consider domestic electricity tariff in housing colonies constructed by industrialists. He said that protection of environment was a sensitive issue and the State Government would not compromise on that account. He said that the State was acting as facilitator and would extend all possible help to reduce genuine grievances of the industrialists on priority.
Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh had been a power surplus State and would ensure that un-interrupted power supply was ensured to industrial sector. He directed local authorities to ensure that the field staff was available to industrialists on call. He thanked BBNIA for lively interactive session which was not only informative but had also solved various problems.
Sh. Kishan Kapoor, Industries Minister, said that there had been revolutionary growth in industrial sector under the stewardship of Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal. He took the previous Government to task for not creating required infrastructural facilities to the industrialists. He said that Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal had been taking out time to personally interact with the industrialists. He urged the industrialists to strictly fulfill the 70 % employment condtion to State’s unemployed youth and also implement the labour laws.
Sh. R.D.Dhiman, Chairman HPSEB announced that from today onwards there would not be any power cuts in industrial areas. He said that the transmission and distribution was being strengthened by augmenting the existing infrastructure. He said that about Rs. 100 crore were being spent on electricity strengthening.
Shri Arun Rawat, President , BBNIA welcome Chief Minister and thanked for his liberal attitude towards the genuine demands of industrialists which included setting up of separate excise, Police, drug controllers office and strengthening the road connectivity network in the area. He also thanked the Chief Minister for Baddi-Sawan-Chandigarh road, Rs. 20 crore for road improvement etc. He gave a detailed presentation highlighting their demands.
Dr. Rajiv Bindal, Health Minister, Smt. Vinod Chandel, MLA, Sh. J.S. Rana, Director Industries, Sh. C. Palarasu, Deputy Commissioner. Sh. Gurdev Sharma, Superintendent of Police, Sh. Hans Raj Sharma, CEO, BBNDA, office bearers of various industrialists associations, senior officers were present on the occasion.
