The Telangana government Thursday announced its new industrial policy, providing entrepreneurs right to time-bound clearance of business proposals, promising zero graft and proposing six industrial corridors and other initiatives.
The policy framework approved by the assembly along with a relevant bill, has given entrepreneurs the Right to Single Window Clearance on the lines of the Right to Information.
Under Telangana Industrial Project Approval and Self-Certification System (TS-iPASS), all the mega projects (over Rs.200 crore) will get clearance in 15 days. The government promised that it would punish concerned departments if they fail to clear the proposals in the stipulated time.
A nodal officer will be the single-window for all permissions required by the entrepreneurs. This is modeled on the lines of the Singapore Economic Development Board. The applicants have to apply in single common application form with self-certification.
Applicant will be also liable for action if self-certification is false. An online and help-desk grievance redressal system will be put in place where entrepreneur can report instances of corruption or any delays in performing timely tasks.
Announcing the first industrial policy of the newly created state, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said the cornerstone of the policy would be zero graft. He announced that there be minimum inspection and maximum facilitation. "Innovate, invest and incorporate in Telangana" is the hallmark of the policy.
The policy aims to achieve a growth rate of 4-5 percent higher than the national growth rate in the manufacturing sector.
Six industrial corridors, industrial parks, mini-industrial townships and a pharma city and a chemical city are among the initiatives proposed in the policy.
The Hyderabad-Warangal industrial corridor will be developed during 2014-15. Other specific initiatives planned during the year include development of Warangal as the textile hub, food processing and seed production initiatives and creation of a venture capital/angel fund.
Hyderabad-Nagpur and Hyderabad-Bengaluru industrial corridors will also be taken up in the first phase.
The second phase will have three more corridors - Hyderabad-Mancherial, Hyderabad-Nalgonda and Hyderabad-Khammam.
The state plans to connect each district headquarters by high speed rail and road network.
The chief minister also promised that the government will review all the obsolete laws that are stymieing industrial growth.
The policy identified 14 thrust areas including aviation, IT hardware, life sciences, pharma, automobiles, textiles, renewable energy and engineering and capital goods.
It said an industrial land bank of about 20 lakh acres will be developed and transferred to the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC), which will set up core sector specific industrial parks.
KCR, as the chief minister is popularly known, assured the industry that uninterrupted electricity supply will be ensured in one year. The government will also explore the possibility of creating a separate distribution company exclusively for the industrial parks.
The government also promised incentives to industry in a transparent manner. Mega projects with an investment of over Rs.200 crores in plant and machinery or employment above 1,000 people will receive tailor-made incentives in addition to standard large category industry incentives.
