Nitish calls for investment in agriculture, industry

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today identified agriculture and industry as the core sectors and exhorted industrialists to invest in the state.
The scope was "tremendous" in agriculture and industry, Kumar said while presiding over a meeting of the industrialists ('Udhami Panchayat') of the state.
This was the first such meeting with industrialists and traders of Bihar after the formulation of Bihar Industrial Policy, 2016 which promises incentives to them such as reimbursement of stamp duty and land conversion fees.
Kumar announced the formation of a committee under Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh which would have the principal secretaries of Finance, Commercial Taxes and Industries as members for further relaxation in the policy for investment on the basis of feedback from industrialists and traders.

Emphasising on setting up a private industrial area for spurring industrial development in the state, the chief minister said similar 'Udhami Panchayats' would be organised on every fifth Monday of the month in the future.
Kumar said the environment was "conducive" for investment in Bihar. "There has been a tremendous development in the infrastructural areas of road, water, electricity, health and education. Rule of law exists in the state," he said.

Bihar has a big market and is abounded with human resources, Kumar said, adding that all the ingredients needed for occupying the top spot in the country in industry were present in the state.

After an interaction with the industrialists and the members of Bihar Chamber of Commerce, Principal Secretary, Industry S Siddharth said they wanted power subsidy and setting up of a private industrial area.
Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, state Finance Minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Energy Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Industries Minister Jai Kumar Singh and Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh were present at the meeting.