Better environment for Industry, Trade and Business has been created in Chhattisgarh: CM Bhupesh Baghel

Raipur: Chief Minister
Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday addressed the people of the state on the topic
“Sugam Udyog, Vyapar-Unnat Karobaar”, elaborating over the ease of
doing business created in the state, at the 26th edition of ‘Lokvaani’—CM’s monthly
radio talk.

“Chhattisgarh has a
favorable environment for industry, trade, and commerce and the state government
has always encouraged the works which promote economic activities that create
better employment opportunities. Our forefathers have envisioned Chhattisgarh
state without any problem of unemployment. To realize this vision, our
government has taken a number of initiatives to ensure livelihood and
employment opportunities for everyone in the state”, Baghel said.

He invited investors
from across the country and the world to visit Chhattisgarh, and see how the
vision of ‘Nava Chhattisgarh’ is being realized in this state full of
possibilities, with its industry-friendly, business-friendly, trade-friendly,
consumer-friendly, pro-tourism, and pro-employment policies.

Baghel said that as a
result of our decisions and initiatives, the rural economy is strengthening and
flourishing in the state while the industry and commerce sector is also getting
benefitted. He added that as Chief Minister, he had announced the industrial
policy 2019-2024, in which food, ethanol, electronic, defense, medicine and
solar energy-based new industries have been given preference.

“We aim to promote the
service sector and tourism sector in Chhattisgarh as well. Provision has been
made to provide industrial investment incentive for the 16 services, under MSME
Service Category, including electronic vehicle charging station, Service
center, BPO, 3D printing, seed grading, and others”, he said.

Chief Minister said
that during the Covid crisis, we have observed that many medical types of equipment
can be manufactured on a local level, hence investment incentives have been
provisioned for these industries as well. The land lease rate in industrial areas
has been reduced by 33 per cent. Rules have been made to convert the land
allotted in industrial areas and the land allotted outside the industrial areas
(up to 10 acres) from lease-hold to freehold, and notification has been issued
in the context. As a result of these efforts, 1715 new industries have been
established in Chhattisgarh in three years, wherein Rs 19,500 crores have been
invested and as many as 33,000 people have been provided employment.

“Moreover, 149 MoU have
been signed, under which Rs 74,000 crores will be invested and 90,000 people
will get employment. We have signed MoU with 18 investors for the investment of Rs
3300 crore, which will create employment for more than 2000 people. We have
also asked Central Government for permission to produce ethanol from paddy, if
we get the permission, we would be able to utilize the bumper production of
paddy in a proper way to produce ethanol on a large scale. This would generate
employment for a large number of people and would also help in providing the better
value of crops to the paddy producing farmers, thereby improving their
financial condition”, said Chief Minister.

State Government has
identified the land plots in 110 development blocks for the establishment of
food parks. Special packages for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, women,
agricultural producer groups, and third-gender people have been included in the
industrial policy. Earlier, the policy had no provisions for Other Backward
Classes but now 10 per cent plots are being reserved for the OBC category, which
will be made available at 10 per cent rate of the land premium rate and 1
percent land rent. Chief Minister has requested people of all the sections of
society to take advantage of the new opportunities of employment,
self-employment, and entrepreneurship in the state.

Baghel emphasized the ease and convenience created in Chhattisgarh for the establishment of the
industries. Certainly, the parameters to analyze the ‘ease of doing business’ in
a state or a country are determined by World Bank. Chief Minister said he is
glad that Chhattisgarh has made it to the top six states of the country in
terms of ‘Ease of Doing Business”. Industries Department is providing 56
services online through a single-window system. Under the e-district system, as
many as 82 services (from shop registration to business license) have been made
online.

Baghel further said
that the development of tourism would also create new employment opportunities in
the state on a large scale. Acknowledging the importance of religious harmony
and cultural unity in our state, we have decided to develop places of
religious and spiritual significance as pilgrimage centers for the devotees. In
the same sequence, we are developing tourism infrastructure in such places
across the state.

“During COVID-crisis,
we have not only helped the laborers of Chhattisgarh to return home but also
served the laborers from other states passing through Chhattisgarh. We had
provided food, accommodation, and quarantine facilities in villages, besides
the test and treatment facility. These measures of State Government were
appreciated at the national level. Meanwhile, State Government had also
announced the policy for migrant workers. And then notification for Chhattisgarh
Migrant Workers Policy 2020 was issued”, he said.

Soon ‘Mukhyamantri Noni
Sashaktikaran Sahayata Yojana’ will be implemented to provide aid for
education, employment, self-employment, and marriage of the daughters of labor
families. Under this scheme, a lump sum amount of 20-20 thousand rupees will be
paid in the bank account of the first two daughters of the beneficiaries,
registered under ‘Chhattisgarh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare
Board’. In the last three years, there has been an effective check on Naxalism
and its violent activities, while the people engaged in industry, trade, and
business have gained confidence in the government. A positive environment has
been created for the economic development of the state, which has led to a significant
increase in employment opportunities in every sector, he said.