Trade bodies ask Rajasthan govt to focus on ease of doing business

Suggestions were presented by the Hotel Association of Rajasthan to make the state a global tourism destination by 2047

Trade bodies and chambers of commerce & industry have requested the state government to stress more on ease of doing business in Rajasthan.

In a pre-Budget meeting held a few days ago, these bodies presented various suggestions to make the state investor friendly.

President of the Federation of Rajasthan Trade and Industry (FORTI) Suresh Agarwal said 20-point Budget suggestions have been prepared for the overall development of the state.

Under this, suggestions were presented such as making a warehouse and logistics policy, improving infrastructure facilities like better roads, sewerage, encroachment free land and water in industrial areas and making industrial plots freehold instead of leasehold. They also called for extending the new phase of Jaipur Metro to Vishwakarma Industrial Area Road number 14 and developing an exhibition centre on Sikar Road in north of Jaipur.

A demand was made by the All Rajasthan Trade and Industry Association (ARTIA) to make Rajasthan a centre for research and innovation and a hub for global standard education.

Prem Biyani, executive president of ARTIA, said, “We have demanded the establishment of agriculture and dairy processing clusters in all panchayat samitis of the state.”

Banechand Jain of All Rajasthan Agriculture Trade and Industries Association said he had submitted a six-point memorandum to the government, which includes providing various facilities on Ajmer Road, which has the highest development potential in Jaipur.

He also sought a goods and services tax (GST) reduction from 18 per cent to 5 per cent on submersible pumps, winding wires, cable panels and their parts used in irrigation so that farmers can get irrigation equipment at cheaper rates.

Suggestions were also presented by the Hotel Association of Rajasthan to make the state a global tourism destination by 2047.

Rannvijay Singh of the association said the unit tourism policy 2024 must be launched soon, a tourism board should be formed, a policy to preserve the heritage of the state must be prepared and new areas of tourism should be developed, among others.