Will amend industrial policy to attract investment: Himachal CM Sukhu

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said the state government would amend the industrial policy of 2019 by giving incentives and concessions, including subsidised power to attract investment.

Meanwhile, the grant of concessions to industrial houses as part of a customised package during the previous BJP regime generated heat in the Vidhan Sabha with the Chief Minister accusing the Jai Ram government of giving out state's valuable resources to investors at a pittance.

"We will probe into the grant of customised package by the previous BJP regime to some investors at100 per cent exemption in stamp duty, subsidised power and water and take action accordingly," Sukhu said. He alleged that hundreds of bighas of land had been given at Re 1 per sq m to these investors.

Objecting to the remarks by the CM, an agitated opposition raised slogans and finally left the House amidst the pandemonium. The issue came into focus on a query by Jaswan MLA Bikram Singh during Question Hour in the Vidhan Sabha today regarding total industrial investment in the state from January 2023 till now and the units which had shut down.

Earlier, replying to the query, Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan informed that 380 projects with an investment of Rs 5,891 crore had come into the state since January 2023. Besides, the expansion of 205 old industries at a cost of Rs 5,600 crore had taken place, he added.

The minister informed that 115 industrial units had closed down, resulting in 3,350 people losing their jobs. "Out of the 115 units, 55 units had resumed operations after takeover by new investors, providing jobs to 3,918 persons with an investment of Rs 512 crore," he said.

He also informed that the Industries Department had taken part in three investor meets held at Mumbai, UAE and in Shimla. "A total of 24 MoUs were signed at Shimla with an investment of Rs 6,210 crore, resulting in the creation of 7,438 jobs," he said. He added that the Bulk Drug Park was being set up with an investment of Rs 10,000 crore, which would create 15,000 job opportunities.

Chauhan said the government would take action in case concessions, that were not in line with the terms and conditions, had been given to the investors.