CHANDIGARH MAY 28:The Punjab Government’s Empowered Committee on Mega Projects today cleared 11 new projects worth Rs.11170 crore. These include six projects in the industrial and five in the agro-industrial sectors. While the projects in the industrial sector would have a capital outlay of Rs.9920 crore, those in the agro sector would entail an investment of Rs. 1250 crore. Some of the projects in the industrial sector also cover housing and multiplexes projects.
Clearances to these projects come close on the heels of infrastructure development projects worth Rs 20, 000 crore cleared by the state government last week.Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal presided over the meeting.
Chief Minister’s Media Advisor Harcharan Bains said that the Empowered Committee also decided to stipulate that, other things being equal, preference would be given to Punjabi youth in matters of employment in these projects. He said that most of these projects have significant employment potential with economic multiplier effect.
Mr. Bains said that in keeping with the government policy, the Committee also decided to extend special incentives to investors. Accordingly, 50% concession in the rates of External Development Charges (EDC) and 75% in license fee would be admissible to Mega Projects in category ‘A’. However, 5% of the total amount payable by the developer on account of EDC, CLU and other license fee would be levied as Health & Social Security fund and recovered in addition to the EDC, CLU and License Fees. This amount, said Mr. Bains, would be deposited in separate corpus to be established by the state government under health and social security schemes for the welfare of the poor. The rates of EDC, license fee and CLU charges would be as per the different components in the industrial park and depending upon the potential zone in which the park falls. Where a piece of land falls in more than one potential category, the proportionate rate of fiscal charges for each category would apply, he said.
The Committee also decided that the project land, where Change of Land Use (CLU) had already been granted as part or whole of a project would not be included in the future Super Mega Industrial Park Projects.
The projects approved included 6 Multiplexes-cum-Hotel projects namely M/s Chakrita Real Estate Developers Private Ltd. (Rs.886.55 crore) in Ludhiana, M/s Hamir Real Estate Pvt. Ltd (Rs.200 crore) in Mohali, M/s Ambreen Projects & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., (Rs.303 crore) in Mohali, M/s Cargo Motors Pvt. Ltd., (Rs.30 crore) in Jalandhar. Besides two Super Mega mixed use Integrated Industrial Parks would be developed, one by M/s Emaar MGF Land Ltd at Mohali, Ludhiana and Jalandhar over an area of 2750 acre with a capital investment of Rs.5000 crore, another by M/s Chandigarh Infotech would develop an IT park over an area of 1170 acre in Mohali district with a capital investment of Rs.3500 crore.
The Empowered Committee also approved five Agro projects including a Biomass based project of 147 MW to be set up by M/s Green Planet Energy Pvt. Ltd. of Mumbai at a cost of Rs.955 crore. This project would have power plants at 14 locations in the state at Barnala (10 MW), Nihalsinghwala (6 MW), Jaito (13 MW), Faridkot (9 MW), Bathinda (14 MW) Fatehgarh Sahib (11 MW), Amloh (6 MW), Sultanpur Lodhi (9 MW), Garhshankar (10 MW), Nakodar (10 MW), Phillaur (10 MW), Shahkot (10 MW), Ludhiana (15 MW) and Raikot (14 MW). Besides this project, M/s Century Plyboard India Ltd. of Kolkata would set up a plywood and Medium Density Fiber Board (MDFB) in Hoshiarpur district with the capacity of 40000 Cu. Mtr. and 90000 Cu Mtr. respectively at a cost of Rs.189 crore. The other agro based projects included M/s Tara Feed Ltd. near Malerkotla (Rs.35.90 crore), M/s Oasis Beverages Pvt. Ltd. in Ludhiana district (Rs.28 crore) and M/s Kissan Fats Ltd. in Ferozepur district (Rs.42.50 crore).
Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Local Govt. & Industries Minister Manoranjan Kalia, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Tourism Minister Hira Singh Gabria, Medical & Research Education Minister Tikshan Sood, Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal, PWD (B&R) Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Agriculture Minister Sucha Singh Langha, Education Minister Dr.Upinder Jit Kaur, Chief Secretary RI Singh, Financial Commissioner Revenue Romilla Dubey, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister DS Guru, Principal Secretary Finance DS Kalha, Secretary Housing & Urban Development Arun Goyal, Director Industries VK Janjua, MD Punjab Agro Corporation SK Sandhu, Chairman PSEB YS Ratra and Additional Principal Secretary AK Mahajan.