Tailor-made sops for industries in rural areas

The Maharashtra government plans to offer 'customised' package of concessions to industrial investors as an incentive to set up factories in the state's industrially backward areas.

State industries minister Ashok Chavan told mediapersons on the sidelines of a function at Talegaon near here on Thursday that the state government was concerned over possible economic imbalances due to the concentration of industries in western Maharashtra.

"We are not against more industries coming up in developed areas but would persuade the new investors to earmark a certain part of their investments for the undeveloped areas as well," Chavan said.

When asked whether this step would not go against the government's stated policy of phasing out the backward zone incentives, Chavan said there was no deviation from that policy but the incentives would be offered depending upon the nature and size of the new investment as a case-wise package.

Chavan said the government would keep acquiring more and more lands as per the demand of the industry. However, clarifying that It was not the policy of the government to acquire any lands being used for round-the-year agriculture purposes, the minister said a scheme was in place to pay compensation to land owners.

Chavan said that the second plant of Daimler Chrysler would be set up at Chakan near Pune and an MoU for this would be signed in due course.

The land (800 hectare) acquired for an international airport near Pune would now be made available for industries as the airport proposal was dropped.

Chavan said the government had instructed the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation to build helipads within their industrial estates as an additional infrastructure facility.

"There is a plan to build helipads at Hinjawadi, Chakan and Talegaon," he said adding that they would be handed over to the local industries to run and operate.