Policy on a platter

For the first time, govt is following a path of

consultations and consensus to draft industrial policy

• Single-window clearance for corruption-free, quick approvals
• CMO to monitor big-ticket projects to enable speedy implementation
• Over 2 lakh acres identified to allot lands to industries
• Textile parks to come up in Warangal and Sircilla
• Policy should encourage entrepreneurship among SCs, STs, BCs and minorities

Hyderabad: The delay in the announcement of the new industrial policy notwithstanding, the industry captains across the country and globe are beeline to meet the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

The heads of big business houses who met Rao in the last one week include Reliance ADAG chairman Anil Ambani, Hinduja group chairman Ashok Hinduja and ITC executive director Pradip Dhobale, and all, who met him, have promised major expansion plans involving big investments in the newly formed state.

According to state industry officials, there are few more big names are expected to meet the Chief Minister, although a courtesy call they may say, the industrialists are visiting Hyderabad to have the first glimpse of the changed city under TRS rule.

“As they are looking to invest in the state, especially in Hyderabad, as part of expansion of their existing projects, they are interested to understand the mind-set of the government and the leaders,” a senior official of a major corporate house said.

According to the state officials, the government has already identified over 2 lakh acres of land across the state for the purpose of industry, which includes Ranga Reddy districts also. And along with the availability of land parcels, the officials have already drafted the incentives and other hand-holding facilities to be offered to the industrial houses intended to invest in the state.

“The policy will be soon finalised once the Chief Minister completes consultations with industry and it will be put forward before the cabinet for approval,” officials told The Hans India. “It (the policy) will be highly comprehensive and offers the best any government can extend to industry,” they said without further parting about the details.

Sources said that the Chief Minister is meeting with the industry associations and industrialist even on Tuesday before finalising the industrial policy.

The government is driving the point that it will adopt transparent approval methods, either it may be land allotment, clearances or incentives. The policy will be in such a way that there will be very minimal involvement of politicians, ministers or bureaucrats. Only ‘merit’ will be considered for giving approvals or land allotment, they said.

The primary objects of the policy, according to chief minister, will be that the industrial projects must be established under pollution free environment, it must use the resources in the state optimally and it should strive in creating job opportunities across the state. The CMO will monitor the big-ticket projects on a regular basis for its speedy implementation, he added.

Besides large-scale industries, the industrial policy will also provide major impetus to the medium and small units and encourage entrepreneurship among SCs, STs, BCs and minorities.

For instance, the government is considering setting up of textile parks in Warangal and Sicilla, where the land is abundantly available. It proposes to establish a model telangana textile park in Warangal on the lines of Tirupur in Tamil Nadu.

Telangana government is planning to provide ‘protocol officer’ for the benefit of the entrepreneur and help him in getting clearances using single window system in a fixed timeframe. The idea is to make the investor feel comfortable and remove the scope for irregularities.