Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh reiterated his stand to make the state an ideal investment destination by relaxing the norms under section 118 to set up industries and provide business friendly environment to the entrepreneurs. Chief Minister
Singh said it while interacting with Industries Association of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial belt late on Thursday evening.
Chief Minister said that the State Government was committed to simplify the procedure for section 118 clearances for purchase of land for setting up the industries in the State besides offering various other incentives to the businessmen. He said that some old industries or land which the entrepreneurs want to get away with or want to sell out to pave the way for another unit to come up or want to leave, we will see that the process of transfer/sale from one company to other does not hamper the transfer and we will try to relax the norms and make a policy pertaining to this.
He stressed for providing employment to the youth of the State adding that the government will not listen to the excuses of the industrialists pertaining to the educational and technical qualification of the people of the State.
He also assured to take adequate steps for strengthening the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Development Authority (BBNDA) so as to provide more autonomy, accountability and authority to it.
He said that the proposal for connecting Baddi-Barotiwala with rail link was in final stage from Kalka to Baddi via Chandimandir and the State Government was following up the same.
The Chief Minster said that to solve the problem of shortage of staff of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd (HPSEBL) in BBN area 40 personnel of skilled and unskilled workers had already been provided in addition to the existing regular staff through outsourcing and 20 more personnel were being provided shortly to overcome the problem of Staff Shortage in BBN area.
Virbhadra Singh directed the HPSEBL authorities to solve the issue relating to electricity distribution to the industrialists and provide electricity connections to them if possible technically.
The chief Minister also interacted with the industrialists and answered their queries and promised them that their genuine problems would be looked into.
The Chief Minister also directed the PWD authorities to maintain and improve the condition of the Barotiwala-Parwanoo Road via Gunai as the total length of the road was approximately 34 kilometers and merely 2.6 kilometers was double lane. He also asked to improve the approach of Barotiwala –Parwanoo via Kalka road as out of total length of 16 kilometers seven kilometers was in Himachal and remaining nine kilometers in Haryana. He said that the two double lane bridges on the road have been completed in the year 2012 and were in Himachal but one bridge was in Haryana awaiting construction. If constructed it will be all weather road connecting Parwanoo via Kalka and will facilitate the industrialists.
Earlier, the Chief Minister chaired the review meeting of the BBNDA in Which besides Industries Minister, Mukesh Agnihotri, Social Justice and Empower Minister, Col Dr. Dhani Ram Shandil, Chief Secretary P Mitra, Additional Chief Secretary, VC Pharka, Principal Secretary, Industries RD Dhiman, Secretary GAD Bharat Khera , Member Secretray Pollution Control Board, Vineet Kumar, Representatives of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Pharma Industry and other industrialists from big business houses were present on the occasion.
Chief Minister directed the CEO, BBNDA, Madan Chauhan to take up the issue of Income Tax levied on BBNDA through some expert lawyer as BBNDA was alike a civic body which works for the development of the area and the money coming from the State ex-chequer for carrying out development works can’t be taxed. He also enquired about the ongoing development works undertaken by BBNDA.
