UP scores on industrial front, no special industrial zone in offing in Uttarakhand

During the Uttar Pradesh Investors summit 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a defence industrial corridor would be established in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh at the cost of ₹2,000 crore and this would generate employment for 20,000 people.

Uttar Pradesh is all set to get a defence industrial corridor, which will not only help create jobs but also boost industrial growth. Neighbouring Uttarakhand, however, has not made any such efforts to push industrial investment by developing new industrial corridors or estates.

Uttarakhand has had Rs 30,000 crore industrial investments since 2003. (AFP (REPRESENTATIVE PIC))

Uttar Pradesh has been demanding impetus for industrial investment from the central government. During the Uttar Pradesh Investors summit 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a defence industrial corridor would be established in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh at the cost of ₹2,000 crore and this would generate employment for 20,000 people.

Uttarakhand has had Rs 30,000 crore industrial investments since 2003. After 2010, when the concessional package for industries ended in the state, no efforts were made for bringing in investment by planning new industrial corridors or estates.

The state government has been mulling granting industry status to tourism, but this will not boost manufacturing sector and only bring benefits like electricity tariffs to the entrepreneurs, who will be able to get electricity at industrial rates.

Pankaj Gupta, president of Industries Association of Uttarakhand, said that he had met chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat three months ago and handed over a concept note for the establishment of a defence industrial park in Uttarakhand at Sitarganj and Rudrapur, which will manufacture defence-related equipment. “The government has not explored the matter and I will take a delegation of the industry representatives to the government in the next few days to press for the establishment of a similar defence industrial park in Uttarakhand so that around 1 lakh persons can find employment on investment of Rs 20,000 crore,” said Gupta.

Jharna Kamthan, general manager of State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIIDCUL) said that they have not urged the government for the creation of an industrial estate or special industrial zone as the matter falls within the ambit of the industries department.

SC Nautiyal, director industries, the government of Uttarakhand said that some new industrial estates were being mulled and the government will take it forward as land, given on lease at Escort farm in Kashipur, is back with the government. “If need be, we will urge the government to establish new industrial estates or zones to provide impetus to the industrial sector in Uttarakhand,” said the director.