M.P. wants to play a ‘central' role

To promote faster all-round economic development, Madhya Pradesh wants to beneficially exploit its natural resources as well as its strategic location in the heart of the country.

Employment generation through sustainable use of natural resources is a priority for the State. MP has rich deposits of minerals such as limestone, manganese, bauxite, rock-phosphate, dolomite and coal.

With 10 rivers, the State is one of the leading growers of wheat, rice, jowar, soya bean, sugarcane and cotton. When it comes to tourism, too, Madhya Pradesh has a lot to offer; be it wildlife sanctuaries, temples, forts or hill stations.

The areas that the State has identified for development include encouraging the setting up of power projects, industrial corridors, agro-based and food-processing industries to make agriculture a profitable proposition, micro, small and medium enterprises, logistics, tourism related infrastructure, and information technology infrastructure, according to Mr Sandeep Naolekar, Vice-Chairman, Madhya Pradesh State Council.

“From being a power surplus State, MP has become a power deficit State due to closure of State-owned utilities on account of maintenance issues. Thankfully, due to good deposits of coal, new power projects are coming up,” said Mr Naolekar.

“Being centrally located, the State can be developed into a logistics hub. The State is laying adequate thrust on the food-processing industry. We need to woo IT and BPO companies.”

The State unveiled a comprehensive Industrial Promotion Policy in November. The objective of the policy is to turn the administration industry-friendly by simplifying rules and procedures; accelerate the pace of industrialisation; implement self-employment schemes effectively and provide jobs to local people in the upcoming industrial units; and attract investment in the industry and services by developing quality infrastructure.

The Government is also planning to implement a special scheme to prevent industrial sickness.

The strategy envisaged for the promotion of industries include strengthening the single window system to promote investments; identifying industrial clusters and extending the benefits of Centre and State-sponsored schemes to them; giving suitable concession for promoting micro, small, medium and large industries; and encouraging agro-based and local natural resource based industries.

To take care of future land requirements of industries, the Government intends establishing a land bank that will earmark non-farm and non-forest land. Industrial areas will be expanded and new industrial areas will be developed.

To overcome difficulties in the development of industrial infrastructure, the State will be setting up an Industrial Infrastructure Development Fund. The Government will be contributing ‘appropriate' amount annually to the fund for five years.

The policy has provisions to prevent slums from coming up. The policy states that land for residential areas will be arranged through the Revenue Department or local urban bodies or Housing Board in the vicinity of industrial areas. Industries would be provided such land at reasonable prices for constructing residential units for labourers and employees. Alternatively, residential buildings will be constructed on available land and provided to the industrial labourers and employees at reasonable price through urban bodies or the Housing Board.

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