To launch campaign with Himachal Pradesh as tax rebate expires next week.
With just five days left for the expiry of the area-based exemptions, Uttarakhand would launch a joint campaign with Himachal Pradesh for the extension of the industrial package and may move the Supreme Court over the issue.
Under the new strategy, the two states may agree to seek the extension of the package till 2013. Earlier, Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank was seeking the extension till 2020.
Among the other options being explored by Uttarakhand included filing a petition before the Supreme Court on the issue, Nishank emphasised.
“I yesterday had telephonic talks with the Himachal Pradesh chief Minister (Prem Kumar Dhumal) on the extension of the industrial package. We will launch a joint campaign now,” said Nishank amid reports that the Centre was ready to extend the tax holiday scheme for only one year. However, Nishank said he was not aware of such reports and that he would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh again on the issue. “Extension of the package till 2013 is our right,” said Nishak adding originally it was for 10 years, which was later curtailed till March 31, 2010.
The BJP too has advised Nishank to seek extension till 2013 only. “We have asked the chief minister to seek the package till 2013, which is practical also,” BJP vice-president Bhagat Singh Koshiyari said.
From industries' associations to the government, there has been a strong demand in the state for the extension of the special industrial package 2003 , set to expire next week.
The government has been claiming for quite sometime that industries are not showing any interest towards its 2008 hill development industrial policy mainly because of the suspense over the industrial package.
Following the special tax holiday scheme of January 2003, an industrial boom was witnessed in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Though Himachal and Uttarakhand had been seeking extension of the package, Punjab, Haryana and some other states had been opposing these exemptions claiming the package had led to the flight of bulk of industries, especially pharma ones from Gujarat.
