Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday said that Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth about Rs. 29,000 crore have been signed between state government and the potential entrepreneurs in different sectors.

Presiding over the progress review meeting of Global Investors Meet held here with senior officers of the state government, the Chief Minister said that all the departments must ensure proper and constant contact and liaisoning with the prospective investors so that they could be motivated to invest in the State.

Thakur said proactive communication must be maintained with leading business houses who have envisaged interest in investing in Himachal during the road shows held abroad as well as within the country.

He said that official website ‘risinghimachal.in’ and mobile based app ‘Rising Himachal’ have been developed which should be used to showcase investment potential available in the State. "Himpragati portal also has been developed for online tracking, monitoring and for providing assistance to investors," he said, adding that an online land bank portal has been prepared and details regarding available private and government lands have been made available on the portal.

Thakur said presently, about 1600 acres government land is available for industrial purposes besides 618 acres private land where entrepreneurs could invest.  He said that all the departments must identify unutilized land and buildings which could be used by potential investors.  He said that the government was also in the progress of approving several policies to facilitate the investors willing to invest in the state.

The chief minister said till date 253 MoUs have been signed which would provide gainful employment to over 60,500 youth of the state besides ample opportunities of self employment. He said that all the departments should fix targets to their field officers to identify potential entrepreneurs in their respective regions. He said efforts should also be made to woo Public Sector Undertakings to invest in the State, adding that he would also personally request the concerned Union Ministers to ask the PSUs under their control to explore possibilities of investment in the State.

It was proposed in the meeting that two mini conclaves would be organized in Shimla and Kullu to facilitate the investors to sign MoUs in sectors such as tourism, health care and wellness, IT, education and skill development, real estates, power etc.