Sops for industries, youth on 5 yrs completion

After receiving a pat on his back for his efforts on development, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today declared making Madhya Pradesh a power-rich state by 2013 and announced a slew of sops and freebies to the industrial and social sector.

He said there would be separate feeders for domestic consumers and agriculture consumers. “My team is working on feeder separation for household and agriculture consumers. Once this is over, we will be able to supply round-the-clock power supply to each village and town,” Chouhan said while holding forth a mega congregation of party workers here. All of the top leadership of the party was in town to participate in the celebration “Gaurav Diwas” on Chouhan’s completion of five years in office.

Chouhan also announced some freebies to school and college going students and offered two year additional tax benefits to those industries that will ensure 90 per cent jobs to local people. Further, he said, his government had planned to make skill development a mission and it would soon open skill development centres in each district to make more youth employable in industry to cater to the industrial demand of skilled labourers. “Our recently concluded investors meet in Khajuraho is an evidence that investment is pouring into Madhya Pradesh and we need more and more skilled labourers. However, my intention is to ensure more and more jobs to local youth. Those industries that will offer 90 per cent jobs to local youth or will create 1,000 direct jobs will be given additional tax benefits for two years,” Chouhan said.

At present, industries that make an investment of more than Rs 100 crore are offered tax incentives for five years only. The new industrial promotion policy has already made it mandatory for an industry to offer 50 per cent jobs to local youth in order to get tax benefits and other incentives.

“From next year onwards, male students of schools will get free uniform and bicycle in rural areas. The sons and daughters of tendu patta (leaves) labourers will get Rs 12,000 per year scholarship up to higher secondary, Rs 15,000 for graduation, Rs 20,000 for post graduation and Rs 50,000 per year if they get professional education like medical or engineering courses,” he announced.

Pointing out his achievements during the last five years he said, “We have pulled the state out of red from negative growth of the Digvijay Singh era to a handsome growth of 8.67 per cent and I am confident that by 2013, we will be able to touch double-digit growth.”

He also assured his party chief Nitin Gadkari — who asked him to hasten the development programmes, particularly in social sector and secure the state a position among top five developed states. “My priority is to ensure faster development by ensuring income, education and health to women and daughters of the state and I am sure we will be able to achieve our goal,” Chouhan added.