The Telangana State government on Friday presented its much awaited Industrial Policy 2015 to an audience of about 2,000 small and big industrialists who gathered here from across the country.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao tried to strike a chord with the industry by assuring them of a “graft-free, hassle-free” system that gives no scope for “pairavees” (lobbies).

He promised them a red carpet welcome to the CM’s Office from the airport and to vet their applications as quickly as possible. “We are going to penalise officials ₹1,000 a day for delays,” he said.

Mega projects, with investments of ₹200 crore and above, would be given permissions in 15 days, he said. The portal launched on Friday allows entrepreneurs to key in details and submit them.

Who’s who in attendance ITC Chairman YC Deveshwar, GMR Group chief Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, GVK group chief GV Krishna Reddy, Nasscom’s BVR Mohan Reddy and Ruia group’s Pavan Ruia were among the top industrialists who attended the high-profile launch of the policy, held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC).

With a promise to give quick, time-bound and transparent permissions to project proposals, the industrial policy identifies 14 core areas for a focused approach. These include life sciences, pharma, information technology, aerospace, automobiles, textiles, minerals and transportation and logistics.

Quick approval With a land bank of about 1.5 lakh acres in the State earmarked for industry, the government promises to clear proposals for Mega Projects in a span of 15 days.

At the heart of the policy is TS-iPASS (Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self-certification System), which calls for penal action against officials for delaying the processing of applications.

Besides TS-iPASS, the policy comprises T-IDEA and T-PRIDE, which offer incentives in stamp duty, value added tax and interest. The State has also promised power at an affordable rate.

Special incentives The Industrial Policy framework, which was passed in the Assembly in November 2014 to ensure accountability, promises to offer minimum inspection and maximum facilitation.

The policy comes out with special incentives for women entrepreneurs and those belonging to the SC and ST communities.

It mandates the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) with securing statutory clearances for industrial parks.

The government also plans to develop industrial townships to make it easier to get to work.

The Chief Minister also launched a solar power policy, under which the government will set up a cell to ensure single-window clearances for solar projects. Besides thermal power production, the State is going for creation of 2,500 MW of solar power.

Land allotment A mechanism will be put in place to identify the requirement of land for a particular project. A Price Fixation Committee will determine the prices of land in different Industrial Parks. The prices will be listed on the dedicated website that has been launched by the State for Project clearances.

If need be, the State government will acquire land from private parties.

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