Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal inaugurated Rs. 200 crore venture of Multinational Company General Cable India manufacturing plant at Baddi.

While addressing the entrepreneurs of the area, CM said that the State Government is providing the best services to the industrial investors in Himachal Pradesh besides maintaining investors friendly environment in the State by doing away with procedural hazards for setting up of industrial units.

Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh is a first State in the country which had established need based essential administrative units close to the industrial area to help them obtain various clearances without wasting any time in travelling to District and State headquarters. He said that it was on the demand of the industrialists that a separate excise and police district was opened at Baddi, tehsil, drug controller, pollution control board office besides creating the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority (BBNDA) to cater to the planned development requirements of the industrialists. He said that the State had constituted State Level Single Window Clearance and Monitoring Authority to scrutinize and give clearances to the industrial proposals under one roof so that no time was wasted in approaching different departments for observance of codal formalities. He said that besides best law and order conditions in the industrial area, industrial peace had been the motto of the State Government.

CM said that the State Government had signed an MOU with Gas Authority of India (GAIL) to connect entire industrial area with piped LPG supply and further extend the same to Solan. He said that the State Government had made concerted efforts to set up Container Depot at Baddi to facilitate manufacturers transport their products outside the State conveniently. He said that the Trade Centre was also coming up at Baddi to facilitate marketing facilities to the entrepreneurs and Rs. 35 crore, Hazards Waste Management Plant, would process industrial waste in a most scientific and eco-friendly manner. He said that the State Government had decided to exempt 5 percent electricity duty to the upcoming industrial units for first five years with a view to motivate investors invest in the investment friendly environment of the State. He said that possibilities were being explored to connect Baddi with Kasauli with a ropeway, where private participation would be welcomed.

Health Minister Dr. Rajiv Bindal said that over five dozens of National and International Awards were testimony to the spectacular achievements, State had made under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal. He said that the State had been adjudged Number One in implementation of 20-Point Programme consecutively for the past three years.

Methias Sandoval, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of General Cable Rest of the World, thanked the Chief Minister for extending all help in setting up of the manufacturing plant and said that it was a dream come true for the company. He said that there was vast scope of generating more employment as the manufacturing process started.

Sandeep Sood, Chief Executive Officer and Country Head, General Cable India, welcomed the Chief Minister, and lauded the cooperation of different departments extended in completion of codal formalities. He said that he had to travel only thrice to Shimla while all rest of the formalities had been completed locally. He said that the company will be shouldering its corporate social responsibility and announced that every girl child in the local school would be adopted by the company. He said that environment had been close to the heart of the company hence a model eco-friendly plant had been established in Baddi. Peter Cambell, Senior Vice President, General Cable Asia presented vote of thanks.

Suresh Bhardwaj, Vinod Chandel, Dr. Rajiv Saizal, MLAs, C.Palrasu, Deputy Commissioner, Gurdev Sharma, Superintendent of Police, Hans Raj Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, BBNDA, Dr. Rajender Chauhan, Industrial Advisor, other senior officers and prominent people of the area were present on the occasion.