The Himachal Pradesh government has created a land bank for industries to facilitate the entrepreneurs to set up units in the hill state.
The bank will comprise of about 6,000 bigha land (both private and government) in Sirmaur, Solan, Kangra, Una, Mandi, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Shimla districts. The private land bank comprises of such lands whose owners have consented to sell their land to private entrepreneurs through mutual negotiations.
?The department of industry will provide escort and facilitation service in case the entrepreneurs are willing to purchase such private land. To avail services of the land bank, the entrepreneurs have to contact the general managers of the concerned district industries centres or the deputy director, Single Window Clearance Agency, Baddi, district Solan?.
Sources in the state government told FE on Sunday ?The Land Bank would be in public-private participation (PPP) basis for industrial expansion and development with quality industrial infrastructure in Solan, Kanga and Una districts?.
A decision to this effect was taken during the 31st meeting of the state-level Single Window Clearance and Monitoring Authority held here under chairmanship of chief minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal.
There has been strong demand from industry for making available industrial land to the prospective entrepreneurs at reasonable market rates. In fact, there had also been complaints of exploitation of the entrepreneurs at the hands of property dealers and people involved in sale and purchase of the land in the industrial areas. The move will also be beneficial in creation of quality industrial township infrastructure. The state government has directed officials to take every related aspect into consideration to protect the interests of the people of the area and carry the process after taking the local land owners into confidence.
The hill state is also working for setting up cluster of about 300 footwear industrial units in Sirmour district, initially with an investment of Rs 10,620 crore, which will generate employment for around 16,500 persons. He said that the Small Scale Industrial Development Corporation would identify the suitable land for the purpose.
The Himachal government has also liberalised the process of transfer of industrial plots and sheds in the industrial areas from one promoter to other by allowing the transfer of lease hold rights of underutilised plots by charging 50% increase in the cost of land.
Similarly, where allottees have utilised the industrial plots by setting up of industrial units and intended to transfer the plots, the government instead of charging 50% would charge only 20% from the allottees, who have run their industries for more than 5 years and 30 % in case of less than five years.