Andhra To Sell Plots, Sheds In Industrial Areas

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to put to public auction the vacant plots and sheds in the different industrial areas and estates in the state.

Minister for major industries Basheeruddin Babu Khan told mediapersons yesterday that there are 3,900 vacant plots and 3,500 vacant sheds in the industrial areas/estates.

Babu Khan said since most of these plots and sheds were in a bad state due to lack of maintenance, the government has decided to sell them off.

The minister also announced that the commiserate of industries and the district industries centres were being pruned in the wake of liberalisation.

 

In the commiserate, 241 posts which were now vacant will be abolished.

On the agitation by the workers of the closed down Allwyn Auto Ltd, the minister said 727 workers had opted for the voluntary retirement benefit which the government offered.

He has written to the Chief Minister suggesting that the date for opting for the VRS should be extended further to enable more workers to come under this. There are 1,760 workers in the closed unit and the VRS offered by the government was far attractive than the compensation they will get under the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act when a unit is closed down. The minister categorically ruled out revival of the unit or the workers being absorbed in the State Road Transport Corporation.

Babu Khan, who chairs the cabinet sub-committee on the restructuring of state enterprises disclosed that the committee has finalised its report on six more public enterprises and the same will be considered by the cabinet at its next meeting.