Himachal to cancel industrial plots of erring investors

The Himachal Pradesh government would cancel allotment of industrial plots where proposed units have not been commissioned within the timeframe, state Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said on Friday.

"The government is going to cancel the allotment of those industrial plots where the investor has failed to commission the units," Agnihotri told the assembly.

He said land allotted to erring industrial units would be taken back.

The minister said an industrial unit is proposed to be commissioned within two years of allotment of the plot. "However, an extension of three years could be availed. The maximum timeframe is five years."

He said there were 232 plots, including 67 in industrial belt Baddi, where industrial units have not been commissioned within the timeframe.

Data shows that Himachal Pradesh got maximum investment from 2003 to 2010 when there was a special industrial package by the central government. Most investments were in the pharmaceutical, food processing, textile, packaging and light engineering sectors.