Seeking to allay concerns of investors in the aftermath of Jat quota stir, the Haryana government today said the worst-hit districts of Rohtak, Sonipat and Jhajjar have together received an investment commitment worth Rs 1.46 lakh crore from a total of 37 pacts.
On investment commitments in the quota agitation-affected districts in the state, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that "as many as 37 MoUs have been signed for setting up 19 projects with an investment of Rs 1.46 lakh crore in the three most affected districts of Rohtak, Sonipat and Jhajjar".
The Chief Minister dismissed the argument that the recent events had shaken the investor confidence in the state.
Notably, 30 people were killed and over 200 were injured during the recent Jat agitation, during which miscreants also inflicted heavy damage to both government and private property, with Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonipat, being the worst-hit districts.
Khattar said that in all 357 MoUs had been signed for a total intended and well dispersed investment of Rs 5.84 lakh crore, having potential for five lakh jobs.
"Haryana has become the first state in north India to attract investment of such magnitude, and has emerged as the first preferred investment destination," Khattar told reporters here today.
"While the multi-sectoral MoUs augur well for uniform development of all parts of the state, the presence of 12 countries and a large number of investors, especially MNCs, at the two-day Happening Haryana Global Investors' Summit-2016 which concluded in Gurgaon yesterday, underscores their faith in the policies and functioning of the present government," he said.
Keen on converting these pacts into projects, he said the HSIIDC would appoint relationship managers to facilitate the investors and ensure implementation.
"Arrangements have also been made for fast-tracking clearances and avoiding any inconvenience to the investors in setting up projects. To facilitate implementation of the projects signed for in MoUs, land would be made available from the developed land bank. The HSIIDC has also started the system of Online Geo-referenced Display to provide the investors information regarding vacant lands in the Industrial Estates," he informed.
Khattar said second global investors' Summit would be held in 2018. The state government would ensure uniform development of the entire state as MoUs have been signed for all districts, he said.
Detailing the MoUs, the Chief Minister said the state
government had signed 357 MoUs during the Summit for a total potential investment of Rs 5.84 lakh crore, "which far exceeds the expectations of the government".
"What paves the way for uniform development of all parts of the state is that as many as 39 MoUs worth Rs 1.28 lakh crore have been signed for the districts which do not fall in the NCR. It shows that the investors are also interested in setting up ventures even in the remote areas of Haryana which are otherwise industrially backward," he said.
Out of the total, 10 per cent of the MoUs have been signed with multinational companies "which underscores the fact that Haryana has become first preferred destination for investment. Moreover, it would result in flow of additional FDI in the state".
Khattar said since Haryana is committed to strengthening the infrastructure sector, 40 per cent of MoUs have been signed for manufacturing projects.
"The state government would go out of the way to make the ambitious project 'Make in India' of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, a success. Ancillary units will be set up near major projects to accelerate the pace of development, and generate job opportunities.
It is with this end in view that we have focused our main attention on the setting up of mega projects," he said.
Giving more details about the MoUs signed during the Summit, he said that 16 per cent of these had been signed for projects over Rs 1,000 crore and 30 per cent for projects over Rs 100 crore.
Realising that MSMEs constituted the backbone of industrial development and enhanced job opportunities, 26 per cent of MoUs belong to this sector, he said.
Giving the break-up of each sector, Khattar said that two MoUs had been signed for aerospace and defence sector, 10 for education and skill development, 117 for manufacturing, 22 for real estate, 16 for infrastructure, 48 for agro, food processing and allied industries, 39 for energy, renewable energy and solar parks.
Thirty-five MoUs have been signed for electronics, IT and ITeS, eight for pharmaceutical and chemical industry, 13 for auto, auto components and light engineering, 15 for textile, apparel, knitting, embroidery and technical textiles, nine for footwear and accessories and 23 in other sectors.
"The investors have reposed faith in the industry- friendly environment developed by the present Haryana government. The presence of such large number of investors at the Summit indicates that they have faith in the policies and functioning of the present government," Khattar said.
He said that the Central Ministers, who came to the Summit, made several announcements for the state.
In this regard, he said that Union Minister of Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu announced that 18 districts of the state would get funds under AMRUT scheme of the Central government.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu announced that a Rail Coach Factory would be set up over 120 acres. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced setting up of downstream industries by expanding the Panipat oil refinery.
Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space, Jitendra Singh, announced investment of Rs 21,000 crore for setting up a nuclear power plant while Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, said that a public sector project for defence would be considered.
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Addressing a 'Pragati Rally' in Mahendragarh today, Khattar said 1,000 cusecs of water will be supplied to Nangal Choudhary in the next two years to check scarcity of water in southern Haryana.
A scheme has been formulated to supply water from Hathni Kund Barrage to Nangal Choudhary and it would be completed in two years, he said.
This was Khattar's first visit to Mahendragarh after he assumed charge of the state, said an official release here.
He laid foundation stones of several development projects.
Khattar said he was aware of the problems being faced by farmers as he himself was born into a farming family.
In its first year, the BJP government gave farmers compensation to the tune of Rs 2,100 crore for damage to crops due to hailstorms and whitefly, whereas in the previous 15 years, farmers had received only Rs 1,600 crore as compensation.
He said taking note of water scarcity in southern Haryana, work on the Rs 143-crore Lift Irrigation Scheme was started.
Union Minister of State for Planning and Defence Rao Inderjit Singh said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of 'Make in India', equipment and machinery used in defence services would be manufactured here.
He stressed the need to increase accountability of officers and employees.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs General (Retd.) V K Singh said the development of southern Haryana would lead to the development of the entire state.
