The list of these units include -- industrial springs, fabrications, electric motors, utensil manufacturing, steel metal press parts, electric coil and winding, special purpose machinery, moulding of rubber parts, automobile parts manufacturing, engineering job work and machinery of parts and mixing of chemicals with ziri effluent discharge units. These units were not included in the present industrial location policy introduced in May 1993.

Chief minister Manohar Joshi told reporters that these industries will have to seek clearance from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and it will be mandatory on these units to install the pollution control system at the time of erection. He informed that these units should come up in the Maharashtra IndustrialDevelopment Corporation estate, cooperative industrial estate and estates recognised by the directorate of industries.

Joshi said that the government will regularise units from these sectors in operation before May 1993 from the Thane municipal corporation area and the Mira-Bhayander municipality area only after payment of necessary fines. "This decision has been taken in the larger interest of workers and the prevailing slump in the industrial sector," he added.

Joshi, however, said that the action initiated by the state urban development department against the illegal and unauthorised constructions in these areas will continue.

He said that the cabinet also cleared a revision in the rate of water cess for irrigation and industrial purposes in the state which will generate an additional revenue of Rs 80 crore every year. He informed that 12 lakh hectares of land was under irrigation in the state. Out of which sugarcane and banana are grown throughout the year on 1.8 hectares.

In 1994, the rate ofwater used for irrigation was Rs 1,750 per hectare which has been hiked to Rs 2,625 per hectare from July 1 this year adding Rs 16 crore to the state exchequer.

From the non-irrigated land, 3 per cent of water was used for industrial purposes from where Rs 64 crore would be added through increase in the rate of reservoir water for 10,000 litre per hectare from Rs three to nine and canal water from Rs six to 18, Joshi said and added that there has been no hike in the water rate for drip irrigation, drinking water and cereals and pulses.

The cabinet also allowed to procure 4,000 tonnes of palm oil from the open market at subsidised rates which will cost the state exchequer Rs 3.6 crore, following cut in the state's share, Joshi said and added that the centre had conveyed to the state government its decision of allocating palm oil to states only for the festival period of four months during the year.

He said that tenders will be invited and the oil will be sold through the public distribution system at Rs30 per litre.

He informed that last year the centre's allocation to the state was 30,000 tonnes and this year the state government has asked for 40,000 tonnes out of which 27,000 tonnes was expected to arrive by August. The state had to make some temporary arrangements as palm oil was not available through the public distribution system since the last two months, he added.