With an ambitious target of attracting investments of Rs10 lakh crore in Telangana, gung-ho Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Friday unveiled a new industrial policy promising “single window clearance without grills”. The Chief Minister also launched the web portal of IT-iPASS, which promises a time-bound online industrial approval system.
The glittering event, with a slogan of ‘Make in Telangana’, was held at the Hyderabad International Convention Center was attended by several top industrialists, investors, and the representatives of the trade and business organisations from across the country. Speaking on the occasion KCR said providing a corruption and redtape-free system of approvals for setting up industries is the aim of the new policy. “We will take steps to ensure that new proposals for setting up industries are cleared immediately,” he said.
“We are providing the facility to the industrialists to submit their applications online and we will ensure that the officials get back to them and they get all the clearances in two weeks”, he added. ITC chairman Deveshwar announced an investment of Rs8,000 crore in Telangana.
Highlighting the vast opportunities available in a-year-old State, the Chief Minister said the State had a land bank of 1.6 lakh acres readily available for the new projects. Apart from 24-hour power supply to all the industries, world class infrastructure, 148 ready to occupy industrial estates and 27 special economic zones have been offered to the industries. “A chasing cell will be working out of the CM’s office for the follow up,” he said, adding, “We will have 0% graft and 100% transparency”.
In the new policy, the State has identified 14 core areas, including life sciences, IT and hardware, precision engineering, food processing, auto mobile, textile and apparel, gems and jewellery, engineering and capital goods, solar and renewable energy, green technology, mineral and wood, transport and logistics, and FMCG and domestic appliances.
Pointing out that the State will now have a single common online application form, KCR said, “There will not be any need for any lobbyist for setting up an industry in the State.” KCR also promised secure environment for the investors and industrialists and pointed out several measures his Government has taken to bring down the crime rate and provide security to women by setting up SHE teams of police.
State Industries Minister J Krishna Rao, on the occasion, said the novel initiatives of the Telangana Government are attracting a lot of interest from within the country and abroad. State Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma said Hyderabad will be the most attractive destination for investments with these new policies and several initiatives. Several State Ministers and officials were present on the occasion.