MP's industrial policy likely in July

NRI chapter, employment provisions to be included in policy

The new policy may have a separate NRI chapter and a chapter for small- and medium-scale enterprises.

As many as 200 industrialists from the state and other states met here on Sunday to apprise a sub-committee, constituted for amending the existing policy, of various issues.

"We will include the word 'employment' in the existing policy to make it more employment-friendly as well as industry-family," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said.

"People of Budni (his constituency) are interested in knowing how many jobs Mahavir Spinning Mills is going to create in its unit at the site. This has rendered me clueless and I decided employment should be a priority in the policy," he said.

A senior government official told Business Standard: "We will speed up issuing notifications to implement the promises made in the policy by introducing a Notification Draft so that different departments can issue notifications at once. Though the existing policy is silent about NRIs and small-scale units, we will add some more for them."

Representatives of the PHDCCI, Pithampur Audyogik Sangathan, Jabalpur Udyog Sangthan and other chambers of commerce and industry wanted an immediate implementation of the policy.

Chauhan said his government would create industrial townships at various places, further cut electricity duty and cess, and make amendments in the captive power policy so that more private firms can join hands with the state government.

He laid emphasis on ironing out issues by replacing the single-window system with a 'single-table' system. "The single window system adds to the problems of industry. We are going to do away with it," he said, adding, "a Project Clearance Board has been created, which will create an 'Investor Day' to listen to the problems of industry and clear attractive and effective investment proposals".

Various industry associations wanted an immediate implementation of the system of issuing notifications, a stable tax policy, the creation of a growth task force (in the Malwa region on a pilot basis), waiver of interest on power dues and surcharges in the case of sick units, amendments in stamp duty, flexible labour laws, and amendments in the Madhya Pradesh Industrial Relation Act, Factory Act.

"The soya industry, which accounts for a major part of the state's exports, should be given seasonal industry status. Further, the government should encourage non-conventional energy generation by bringing it out of the Captive Power Policy ambit," said Rajesh Agrawal, chairman, Soyabean Processors' Association of India (SOPA).

Other chambers wanted the promotion of SMEs, the Pollution Control Board' rules be eased, and promotion to the food and agri processing industry.