Mayawatis Sops To Private Sector

To accelerate the pace of industrialisation and attract private investment, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati today announced a new industrial promotion policy and promised to remove the hurdles coming in the way of industrial development.

To tackle the power shortage, one of the major hurdles, Mayawati said the private sector would be allowed to set up captive power units.

Now, the industrial units in special economic zones would be free to generate, transmit and distribute power.

Also, the surplus power generated in these zones would be purchased by the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL). Third party sale would be admissible according to the central policy, she added.

The state government has also allowed the entrepreneurs to purchase power directly from the National Thermal Power Corporation. These measures, she said was aimed at making industrial areas self-sufficient in power.

Companies like Hindalco have been selling surplus power to the state power corporation for many years. Now, they can sell power to other companies in the vicinity and will be free to set up their own transmission and distribution network instead of depending up on UPPCL.

To revive the manufacturing sector, Mayawati said steps would be taken to check labour problems. She said, adequate amendments to the labour laws would made to allow entrepreneurs the freedom to close the unviable units without any hassles. Provisions of the Contract Labour Act would also be simplified.

The chief minister announced the conversion of Noida and Greater Noida-Agra zone into Taj economic zone.

The chief minister said the state government would develop the special economic zones as industrial townships and make necessary amendment in rules to ensure their functioning like an autonomous body.

She said most of the sanctions to be granted to the industrial units to be set up in the special economic zones would be via the automatic route.

The industrial units in the special economic zones would not require any permissions except requisite approval from the UP Pollution Control Board and the state electricity regulatory commission, she said.

Two more special economic zones would be set up in the Varanasi-Bhadoi belt and Kanpur area. But, the announcement about Kanpur special economic zone would be made after the finalisation of the area.