Don't discriminate: Uttaranchal chamber

Is the Uttaranchal government promoting its own industrial estates?

With the focus shifting to state-owned Hardwar and Pant Nagar industrial estates, which are attracting big investments, the Indian Industries Association, Uttaranchal (IIAU), has asked the state government not to neglect the existing industrial estates.

"It appears the state government is only interested in promoting the industrial estates of the State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttaranchal Ltd (SIDCUL), at the cost of other industrial estates. One finds these existing industrial areas are in a bad shape," the IIAU said in a paper prepared for an interactive session to discuss the problems of local industry.

IIAU President Pankaj Gupta said, "The Uttaranchal government is promoting SIDCUL industrial estates, so much so that any glaring lapse or problem concerning other estates is not getting redressed."

The industrial estates faced problems like khasras (numbered industrial plots) not getting notified or wrongly notified, the IIAU said. Because of this, industries were unable to avail of central industrial packages.

The IIAU came out with a charter of suggestions in this regard. It said the status report of each industrial estate should be prepared.

This report should cover all issues and schemes for the maintenance of these industrial estates. This should form the basis of funding of each estate.

All industrial plans should be approved by the director of industries. Reducing the circle rate, stamp duty, and other development charges for setting up industries are among the suggestions.

The IIAU also asked the government to allocate sufficient funds for the maintenance of industrial areas. Since all these estates have been in business for long, such areas need to be notified by the state government as industrial areas. There should be a study of vacant land and closed units in these areas, it said, adding that this study be developed into a compendium of information for up-and-coming industrialists.

To rehabilitate the existing units, the IIAU said the sick units should be identified and the causes of sickness ascertained. Stating that the government must allow spot registrations of sick units, it said rehabilitation packages should be based on a comprehensive study.

There should be a one-time settlement scheme for non-performing loans disbursed by the district industries centres under various heads, the IIAU noted.

There should be smooth exit policies for unviable sick units and waivers of interest and surcharge, it said.

Regarding floriculture units, the IIAU said that district industries centres did not register them as SSIs. "This is despite the fact that floriculture has been declared an industry," it said.