Pitching the Union Territory as an investor-friendly destination at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bengaluru on Sunday, Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy said a mega investors’ meet was proposed to be held shortly.
According to an official release, Mr. Narayanasamy said the government would extend attractive benefits, incentives and concessions to mega projects on a case-by-case basis on the basis of pioneering nature, locational aspects, technology, projects’ importance to the Puducherry’s industrial growth, and its ability to generate large-scale employment and revenue for the Union Territory.
A high-level committee chaired by the Chief Minister would decide the special benefits that could be extended to industries.
Those having an investment of above Rs. 100 crore in plant and machinery or providing employment to 500 people would be considered as mega projects and those having investment of above Rs. 200 crore or providing employment to 1,000 people would be considered as Super Mega Project and proportionate benefits would be extended by the high level committee.
On the ease of doing business, an Industrial Guidance Bureau had been set up in the Directorate of Industries and Commerce to act as a single point contact system to facilitate entrepreneurs, the Chief Minister said.
The entrepreneurs interested in investing in Puducherry would be extended all facilities through the bureau.
All the line departments namely, Agriculture, Chief Inspectorate of Factories and Boilers, Food and Drugs, Puducherry Pollution Control Committee, Town and Country Planning, Revenue and Local Bodies would process the application and give the clearances within 30 days.
“If any department fails to issue clearance within the time deemed, approval clause will be activated. This will ensure commencement of the production without any cost and time over run,” Mr. Narayanasamy said.
The new industrial policy announced by the government had identified 10 priority sectors — electronic, IT and knowledge-based industries, energy efficient and eco-friendly industries, low water-intensive industries, employment-oriented industries, units which can sustain on local resources, industries that generate multiplier effect, export-oriented enterprises, industries based on nanotechnology, halal food industries, and halal hubs.
Land bank
The government had identified a land bank of 1,425 acres — 800 acres at Sederapet and Karasur villages in Puducherry for promotion of multi-product industries, 600 acres at Polagam, Karaikal for encouraging seaport-based/multi-product industries and 25 acres at Mettupalayam for promotion of IT Park / industries.
Consolidation of additional land bank was on the anvil while preparing the Master Plan for the entire Union Territory of Puducherry.
The consolidated land bank would give the Union Territory a strategic edge in attracting investments.
The Central government was setting up a tool room, which would help in imparting advanced high skill training in specific fields. Besides, sector-specific Union Government training centres or private institutes would be tied-up for the Advanced Skill Development Training. The state-of-the-art Tool Room cum Technology Development Centre, at Kalapet, Puducherry is scheduled to function from 2018, he said.
The Technology Development Centre will be Electronics Systems Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) focused, with specific focus on segments such as industrial electronics, IT systems and hardware and automotive electronics. It will provide services to MSMEs and contribute towards skilling youth to make them employable by imparting training relevant to industrial needs.
The centre will provide hand-holding support to entrepreneurs to make them more competitive and train 5,000 people in the first year and 25,000 people in the next five years, Mr. Narayanasamy said.
