Chhattisgarh Unveils New Industrial Policy, Investor Meet

Raipur, Feb 21 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Commerce and Industry Minister Lakhanlal Dewangan said in the Assembly on Wednesday that a new industrial policy for 2024-29 will be framed and an investor meet will be organised to attract more ventures and projects in the state.
Replying to discussion on demands for grants worth Rs 773.28 crore of his departments, the minister said 'Chhattisgarh Udyam Kranti Yojana' will be started to provide self-employment opportunities to youths.
After the discussion, demands for grants, which included Rs 530.29 crore for the commerce and industry department and Rs 242.98 for the labour department, were passed in the House.
The current industrial policy is in force till October, 31 2024, and a new one for 2024-2029 will be framed as per requirements of the state, Dewangan said.
In the new policy, setting up of new ventures will be encouraged keeping in view agricultural products, forest produce and mineral resources available in Chhattisgarh. Also, focus will be on establishment of employment-oriented industries, he said.
"We will make the best policy by holding discussions with all stakeholders and after studying policies of other states so that industrial development can be accelerated and new employment opportunities created in Chhattisgarh," he added.
A provision of Rs 60 crore has been made in the budget (for financial year 2024-25) for establishment of new industrial areas and Rs 50 crore has been earmarked for setting up separate industrial parks to encourage agriculture and food processing units, the minister said.
Besides, industrial areas will be developed on government land parcels in the vicinity of national highway for the Korba-Bilaspur Industrial Corridor and they will be equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure. For this, a provision of Rs 5 crore has been made to prepare the initial action plan, Dewangan told the Assembly.
An initial provision of Rs 5 crore has been made in the budget to meet the demand for an aluminium park in Korba district, the minister said.
To promote start-up, innovation and research among youths, the Central Instrumentation Facility will be upgraded at the Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla University, Raipur, for which a sum of Rs 2 crore has been allotted, he said.
"Invest Chhattisgarh event will be organized on the lines of Invest India to attract investments in the state. Besides, Chhattisgarh Start-up Summit will be organized to make the state a start-up hub, attract knowledge process outsourcing units and create a rich innovation ecosystem," he said.
A facility, titled "Mor Chinhari Bhawan", will be established in other states to extend support and provide guidance to workers of Chhattisgarh who go outside for employment, said Dewangan.
In the first phase, such facilities will be built in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Gujarat and Maharashtra, where a large number of labourers from the state migrate in search of jobs, he said.
A new scheme will be started soon to provide free education in reputed private schools to children of registered labourers' families, the minister added.