Shimla: More than two decades after the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee sanctioned a special industrial package for Himachal Pradesh and some other states to boost industrial development, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has stepped up fresh lobbying for a new package.
Late on Thursday, he called on Union Commerce and Industry minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi and sought a special package for Himachal Pradesh on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern states.
The 10-year-long tax holidays, which helped the state to get new investments to the tune of Rs 32,000 cr, ended in 2013 and the state is facing migration of the industry from Baddi-Brotiwala-Nalagarh industrial belt.
Sukhu said that in order to ensure balanced regional development, it is the need of the hour that a special industrial package on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern states should be provided to Himachal Pradesh.
He urged the Commerce minister to restart the previous transport subsidy scheme for hilly areas like Himachal Pradesh keeping in view high logistic cost due to rugged terrain. He said that this would go a long way in promoting industrial production and boosting exports. Sukhu also pleaded for providing funds for industrial infrastructure development projects, quality testing labs and certification labs for export promotion etc.
The Chief Minister further raised the demand for releasing the pending amount of capital subsidy under the Industrial Development Scheme and sanctioning pending cases under the IDS at the earliest.
Goyal assured that the issues raised would be examined and that all possible support to the state would be extended, an official said.
Technical Education minister Rajesh Dharmani, political advisor to the Chief Minister Sunil Sharma, principal advisor to the Chief Minister Ram Subhag Singh and other senior officials of the state attended the meeting.