Maharashtra aims at 10% industrial growth

State cabinet approves industrial, investment and infrastructure policy.

The state cabinet on Tuesday approved the industrial, investment and infrastructure policy which aims at 10 per cent industrial growth, service sector growth at 12 per cent and the creation of 2 million new jobs by 2010.

The new industrial policy offers fiscal, non-fiscal and even human resource-related incentive to industry.

The new policy also talks about creating a special purpose vehicle on the lines of the Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation (MADC) which is looking after the cargo hub project at Nagpur to take care of all infrastructure development needs in the golden quadrangle region of Mumbai-Pune-Nashik-Aurangabad.

The policy also talks of giving permissions required by industry like no-objection certificate from the pollution board, approval from the electricity department, labour department, industrial safety directorate and others through a single window scheme through single on-line application within one month's time.

Speaking to reporters, industry secretary V K Jairath said, committees for tiny and small industries will be constituted at the district level under the chairmanship of district collectors.

A committee for medium and large industry will be constituted under the industry commissioner and for mega industries under industry secretary for giving the permissions and NOCs to industry.

The state government has also decided to do away with implementation of labour laws in the D, D+ and no industrial development (NID) talukas of the state.

The industry set up in these areas will be exempted from eight labour laws which come under the purview of the state government like Bombay Shop and Establishment Act, Prevention of Unfair Labour Practices Act, Bombay Industrial Relation Act and such other acts.

Besides, under the policy the state government will also refund 75 per cent of the contribution of the employer in a year to Employees Provident Fund and Employees State Insurance he employes 75 per cent of the workforce from the local population at least in unskilled jobs, if the industrial unit is in D, D+ and NID talukas.

Besides, the state government has simplified the procedure to claim the existing incentives, reduced the stages to get the incentives and date of the commencement of commercial production will be made applicable for getting these incentives.

The industry is also being offered incentives for technological upgradation like giving subsidy on the cost of capital equipment, part reimbursement of the expenses made on patent registration, quality certification, and implementation of cleaner and environmentally-friendly technologies.

The industrial policy also proposes to create the labour information cell which will provide the linkage between employers and education, and training providers and prospective employees.

This cell will compile, collate and disseminate information on trends in labour market, nature of skills in demand and nature of skill sets stock and training available.