Uttaranchal gets core sector board

Power, tourism, industrial development, IT, biotech to drive growth in the state

Uttaranchal has identified power, tourism, industrial development, agri-processing, information technology and biotechnology as the major growth drivers for the state. It has so far received investments to the tune of Rs 8,300 crore in these areas so far.

As a step to promote industrial development in the state, the government has also set up an infrastructure board chaired by Chief Minister N D Tiwari to take faster decisions on key issues. The state has also set up a special infrastructure fund.

The Uttaranchal government is also in the process of identifying new sources of funds. The government is yet to decide on the size of the fund. It has already imposed additional collections on the sale of petrol and diesel in the state.

The government is also contemplating legislation to facilitate the implementation of infrastructure projects and encourage innovative ways to execute the project. Promoting the participation of the public and private sectors will be an important part of the state's policy.

As part of the industrial development vision of the state, it was projected that the share of industry in the state's economy has the potential to grow to 40 per cent from the present 17.68 per cent. Besides, it also projected that the industrial sector can generate 500,000 jobs.

In the tourism sector, the state government has identified 16 master plans for various tourist circuits, which are either ready or under development.

The state, which has seen 1.3 million tourists arriving last year, expects the number to grow considerably. According to a vision prepared for the state's tourism sector, the state has the potential to achieve a 12 per cent annual growth in the domestic tourism arrival and attract 15 per cent of the international tourists to the state.

As part of the strategy for the growth of the tourism sector, 5 tourism hubs will be set up across the state to promote different types of tourism including adventure tourism, eco-tourism, religious tourism, among others.