LUB threatens to boycott Madhya Pradesh Global Investors' Meet

The Laghu Udyog Bharati (LUB), which is considered close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has threatened to boycott the Global Investors' Meet at Indore, scheduled to be organised by the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government from October 8-10.
The LUB has threatened to do so to protest against the merger of the District Industries Centre (DIC) with the Madhya Pradesh Audyogik Kendra Vikas Nigam (MPAKVN) Limited, in order to bring 187 industrial areas under its purview.
"If the Madhya Pradesh state government decides to merge DIC with the MPAKVN, the LUB will oppose the proposed investors' meet," LUB regional secretary Samir Mundra told PTI.

He said that the proposed merger would create problems for small scale industries like higher lease rent and other charges as well as put a question mark over their survival.
Another industry body, Association of Industries Madhya Pradesh (AIMP) has also been opposing the proposed merger for a long time.
AIMP president Hemant Mehtani alleged that the MPAKVN plans to merge the DIC with itself as part of a "conspiracy", so that industrialists are forced to buy land from the private sector.

He said that MPAKVN charges a huge fee in the name of maintenance, which small scale industries are not in a position to pay.

If these 187 industrial areas are brought under the purview of the MPAKVN, then they would all end up getting closed down, he said.
Mehtani said that an AIMP delegation would meet Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan soon, to urge him to cancel the proposed merger.