Congress lauds Sukhbir’s initiative of cheap power
Friday, 30/10/2015
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=143332&boxid=58624&uid=&dat=2015-10-30
Chandigarh : Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Sunil Jakhar has welcomed offering electricity at Rs 4.99 per unit to new investors for five years. He also demanded that similar incentives should be given for survival of cotton industries and promotion of fruit grading and waxing units.
Speaking about the ordeal of other industries, here on Thursday, Jakhar said that 345 cotton ginning and pressing factories were in working order when SAD-BJP alliance took over reigns in 2007 but only 120 were found functioning last year due to wrong policies pursued by the government. “Key players had disposed off their units; most of them migrated to neighbouring states. As about 30 per cent produce was expected due to damage done by whitefly attack on cotton this year, only 80 ginning and cotton factories had decided to continue business. The Powercom is charging Rs 7.80 per unit from such factories; the owners have to pay Rs 620 per kilowatt for 5.5 months as users charges in lean-period,” he stated.
Jakhar said that about 125 kinnow fruit grading and waxing plants have been installed in Abohar-Fazilka area which leads in fruit production in the state but they have to pay Rs 7 per unit as electricity charges, no incentive in VAT over expansion of machinery was available. “The state government had announced a decade back that kinnow market will be developed over 2 acres of land near the cotton yard in the new grain market complex at Abohar. Chief Minister had sanctioned Rs 5.6 crore for the project but the files gathered dust at headquarters,” he pointed out.
Raising another important issue, he said that businessmen were waiting for VAT refunds to the tune of about Rs 300 crore but the government had not been able to clear the same owing to red-tapism. “The government now talks of launching single window system and fast processing of files but only time will tell how much fair they are in implementing the same,” he added.
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