The Hindu : New Delhi News : Plan for relocating industries ready: Minister

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 01, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Plan for relocating industries ready: Minister

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MAY 31. Asserting that the Supreme Court orders for relocation of industrial units from non-conforming areas would be complied with in letter and in spirit, the Delhi Industries Minister, Mangat Ram Singhal, today declared that an action plan had been drawn up for this purpose. The Delhi Government is also writing to the Central Government to expand the list of household industries in the Capital.

Talking to The Hindu , Mr. Singhal said everything had been worked out by the Industry Department and the Delhi State Industrial Development Corporation (DSIDC) for relocation of the industrial units to be affected by the Supreme Court order. He said the Government would file a compliance report with the Supreme Court before the August 31 deadline for closure of "F" category of industries in the Capital. Stating that the present closure in non-conforming areas was not going to affect a large number of people, Mr. Singhal said that around 51,000 applications had been received for allotment of industrial plots. Of this, 27,000 applicants were found eligible for allocation of plots and 3,333 had taken refunds. Around 23,000 applications had been found non-eligible for allotment of plots.

Mr. Singhal said the Industry Department had a provision for 18,355 plots while the requirement was around 27,000 plots. The Minister said that Delhi Development Authority had identified another 2,000 acres of additional land adjoining the Bawana Industrial Estate. The land has already been earmarked and the Department expects to take possession of the same within two months. In addition to this, DDA had made an offer of 1,000 additional plots in different industrial areas. The Department had also identified another 3,500 acres at Kanjawala in North-West Delhi for this purpose and the process for acquisition is already on. Mr. Singhal said the Government was going to act in accordance with the court orders and only those units that have come up after 1990 would be targeted for closure in the non-conforming areas.

The Industry Minister said he would also soon be meeting the Union Urban Development Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, with the request to expand the list of the household industries in Delhi with a view to prevent any large scale relocation. There are certain essential industries that need to be included in the household industry list in order to ensure that basic services are allowed to operate in residential areas in order to prevent any hardship to the local population. Mr. Singhal was of the view that Delhi Government would allow only pollution free and environment friendly industrial units to come up in Delhi and said his Department was in the process of preparing a policy document in this regard. There is a need to encourage the gems and jewellery industry in the Capital and the Government had already identified 100 acres at Baprola for this purpose. Efforts are already on to encourage the pharmaceutical and food processing industry in the Capital.

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