Single window scheme speeds up Rs 120 crore investment in Krishna, Guntur districts

Nearly 950 applications for new industries okayed in short time

The single window clearance of applications for setting up industries has injected new enthusiasm among budding entrepreneurs of Krishna and Guntur district.

With the respective district collectors presiding over the clearance committee meetings conducted every fortnight, close to Rs 120 crore of new investment has been cleared in a very short time.

Within a short time 401 applications were cleared in Krishna district and 553 out of 559 applications were approved in Guntur district. Around 230 units in Krishna and 60 per cent of the units in Guntur have started production.

Under the single window scheme, it takes just one month for approval of units, while under the old dispensation, entrepreneurs had to go through unnecessary delays and harassment caused by panchayats, pollution control board, power department, inspector of factories, and urban development authority for at least seven to eight months.

The general manager of Krishna District Industries Centre (DIC) E Trimurthulu, and his counterpart in Guntur district B Panduranga Rao, in separate interviews to Business Standard, expressed confidence that the coming months would attract a large number of new entrepreneurs in their respective districts.

Trimurthulu said the approved units involved a total investment of Rs 68.16 crore, promising jobs to 4,200 people.

"Of the 401 new units, which come under 17 segments, 102 belong to the food processing, involving an investment of Rs 25.93 crore. Two units come under beverages and tobacco, one under cotton, one under wool and silk, eight under wood (outlay Rs 28 lakh) and 28 under paper and printing (Rs 3.6 crore). Three leather units, 35 basic chemical units (Rs 7.15 crore), 13 rubber and plastic units (Rs 3.5 crore), 29 non-metal and mineral units (Rs 6.44 crore), seven basic metal and alloy units (Rs 3.98 crore), 30 metal and parts units (Rs 2.94 crore), four machinery equipment units other than transport (Rs 95 lakh) and 16 transport equipment units (Rs 1.6 crore) have also been issued licences."

"The district will also soon see the coming up of 10 large-scale industries, requiring an investment of Rs 130 crore. They include two sponge iron units "" each worth Rs 8 crore, a food-processing unit going for expansion, a Rs 2-crore refined oil unit, a power generation unit, Rs 15 crore steel turbine-ingot unit, and a solvent extraction unit. To top them all, the Rs 100-crore Reliance gas production unit in Krishna basin may reach full production capacity next year."

He said, "There are 74 large-scale industries in the district, involving an investment of Rs 18,095 crore and providing jobs to 17,500 workers. Of them, 12 units are facing rough weather. While five of them are likely to be revived, the fate of the remaining units remains uncertain."

He said that as against a target of 2,780 units fixed for 2003-04, the Industries Department achieved 2,940 units. "The target for 2004-05 is 2,838 and till September the department has helped entrepreneurs set up 1,090 units, which include a large number of unregistered ones."

Guntur DIC general manager Panduranga Rao said the 559 new units would take an investment of Rs 52.38 crore and provide jobs to 3,973 people. The industries belong to the segments of ginning and spinning, rice and oil and dal mills, granite, tobacco processing, mineral water and the like.

"The department is focusing on agro, chemical, engineering, food, mineral, and textile based industries. A total of 4,353 small industries in the district with an outlay of Rs 658.89 crore and 43,480 workers and 39 large and medium scale industries, with an investment of Rs 537.62 crore, and 10,234 jobs are smoothly working in the district."

He said that as against the target of 2,048 small units fixed for the department in 203-04, it achieved 2,708 units (9,877 jobs), which took an investment of Rs 52.39 crore.

For 2004-05, the officials achieved setting up of 358 units (1,579 jobs) with an outlay of Rs 14.48 crore against a target of 2,816 units.

Under the Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana (PMRY), while 1,358 units were set up with an outlay of Rs 8.61 crore (1,740 jobs) last year, this year (2004-05), 50 units have so far gone on stream with an outlay of Rs 30 crore against a target of 2,360 units.

He said the department proposed that the service of CFTRI, Mysore, be used for developing food-based industries in the district and textile apparel parks may be established at Chilakaluripet and Mangalagiri.

"The government is also developing clusters at Duggirala for turmeric, at Pidiguralla for lime, at Narasaraopet for leather puppets and lamp shades, and at Durgi for stone carving. The other clusters include handloom weaving designs and updates at Mangalagiri, banana fibre at Tenali and wooden furniture at Macherla."