Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday urged the Centre to provide complete tax exemption to industries in the State for first five years and 50 percent for next five years to promote industrial development in the hill State.
Speaking during the pre-budget meeting of Finance Ministers of all States and Union Territories held at New Delhi, under the chairmanship of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Thakur demanded subsidy/viability gap fund for operating flights and heli-taxi services on the pattern of north eastern States to Himachal Pradesh for assisting in tourism promotion as well as disaster management.
The Chief Minister said the State had enormous possibilities for expansion of tourism activities and keeping this fact in view, there was need to promote air traffic. He suggested that Union Government should make announcement regarding expansion of helipads of all State capitals from central budget besides making budgetary provisions at the centre for expansion and construction of airports in hill States. He added that environment protection would be a priority of the State Government.
Thakur suggested reducing the corporate tax rate up to twenty percent for further industrial development. He said that entrepreneurs of the State were denied the benefits of capital investment subsidy which ended in march 2017 and added that although a special committee was constituted for preparing an extensive industrial policy for hill States yet no announcements have been made so far, keeping this in view, he requested to continue central capital investment subsidy to the State till the new announcements are made.
The Chief Minister also requested to enhance import duty on apple as was announced in union budget 2018-19 so that interests of the horticulturists of Himachal were protected.
Thakur also demanded for according priority to expansion and strengthening rail network in the State for improving connectivity. He stressed on construction of Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Manali-Leh rail line besides broad gauging of Pathankot-Jogindernagar rail line. He also requested to declare these projects as national projects keeping in view the strategic importance.
Thakur requested transferring power to accord environment clearances for hydel projects above 50 MW to the State Government to avoid unnecessary delays. He also requested for enhancing sanctioning powers to State Government under FCA ACT -1980 from 1 hectare to 5 hectare under PMGSY to speed up the works.
Shrikant Baldi, ACS Finance and Manisha Nanda ACS and Principal Secretary to CM were also present in the meeting.