Demand for Industrial Package

Reiterating the demand for extension of the Concessional Industrial Package (CIP), Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said the Centre should extend the excise exemptions till 2013 if not 2020. "If the Centre is finding it tough to extend the package till 2020, then it should extend till 2013 only to both Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh," Nishank told in an interview. The Concessional Industrial Package announced by the Centre in 2003 provides for IT and excise duty exemption for industrial units set up in the state, besides other sops. The package expired on March 31 this year. The CM has been facing criticism from the Congress that his demand for extension of the package till 2020 was not practical. Nishank also expressed fears that the expiry of the package would affect Rs 30,000 crore-worth of industrial investments that are in the pipeline. Nishank claimed that nearly 1.5 to 2 lakh youths of the state would also lose the opportunity of getting employment in case the package was not extended. Though he is not very optimistic about extension of package in view of the Centre's indifferent attitude, he said he would continue to push the case. "I have again talked to the Prime Minister requesting him to sympathetically consider our demand," Nishank said, adding that he and his Himachal Pradesh counterpart have sent a joint letter to the Centre on the issue. Considering the fact that Centre has already extended the package for the North-Eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir till 2017, Nishank said his government is also exploring legal options for getting the package extended. The Chief Minister said he was making a report card about the performance of his MLAs and council of ministers. In this regard, he said he undertakes a periodic review of the performance. To a question about the Cabinet reshuffle, he said he was satisfied with the performance of his ministers.

On the lone Rajya Sabha seat falling vacant in June, Nishank said a decision in this regard would be taken by the party.