Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has left for South Africa to scout for foreign investments in industrial, power and other sectors, a trip that has generated a controversy back home.
“On the invitation of the South African government, I am going to that country,” Bahuguna said before leaving for South Africa. Bahuguna would return from South Africa on December 29, CM’s OSD Anand Bahuguna said.
However, opposition parties raised doubts over the real motive of Bahuguna’s trip claiming he is going with family members on a “pleasure trip”. “So far, all the preliminary details suggest that this going to be merely a pleasure trip as he is not accompanying any business delegation,” said a state BJP spokesman.
Bahuguna on the other hand said he would try to explore foreign investments for the hill state in various sectors like industry, power, health and tourism. The CM would stay in South Africa for nearly a week.
The CM had recently laid the foundation stone for the Sitarganj industrial estate to be set up at an area of 2000 acres.
For attracting the industry, the government would also bring a separate mega investment plan. After the expiry of the central hill-based tax incentives in 2010 that brought sluggishness in the industrialization process in Uttarakhand, the state government is planning to provide some sops to make the industrial activity at Sitarganj a lucrative business.
Sitarganj industrial estate would be developed by the government-owned State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIDCUL) which is credited for setting up the world-class industrial estates of Pantnagar and Haridwar where big companies like Tata Motors, Nestle and HUL set up their shops.
Besides, the government is also seeking investments in hydropower sector where it would invite investments for joint partnerships with the state owned company UJVN Ltd.
