Few takers for industrial plots in Baddi

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, November 25

With few fresh investment proposals being received by the state, the HP State Industrial Corporation (HPSIDC) is finding it hard to sell its 25 remaining plots in the Davni industrial area in the industrial hub of Baddi.

Though the Davni industrial area, measuring 601.14 sq bigha, had been carved out by investing Rs 61.50 crore while the Central industrial package was available in the state, these plots had failed to find buyers. The situation had worsened after the lapse of the incentives of the package in March 2010 and despite several auctions, little success has been achieved. Infrastructural facilities such as development of roads, drains, streetlights, sanitation, power, etc had also been put in place to facilitate the investors.

Information available from the HPSIDC revealed that 11 plots measuring 500 sq mts, six plots of 1,000 sq mts and two plots of 1,800 sq mts had remained unsold at Davni, besides six other plots measuring 2200 sq mts to 5462 sq mts.

“The lack of availability of large-sized plots was one of the reasons why the plots had failed to be sold and even if two or more contiguous plots are allotted to a single investor, it fails to provide sufficient space for setting up an industrial unit having adequate area for a medium-sized unit” said Suresh Kumar, an investor who was looking for a larger plot for in Baddi.

The state government had relaxed the stringent norm of seeking clearance under Section 118 of the HP Tenancy and land Reforms Act, 1972, for the non-Himachali investors. But it has failed to benefit the investors who could not find plots of sufficient sizes.

Similar situation existed for the vacant plots held by the Industries Department (ID) and though a new industrial area measuring 515 bighas of land is being developed at Dhabota in the Nalagarh area, but it has yet to get the mandatory clearance under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. The clearance is sought in cases where a forest land is put to non-forestry use.

Figures procured from the ID reveal that 213 plots are lying vacant apart from 25 sheds and 11 shops while 24 had been misutilised in various industrial areas of the state.

In the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial area, which accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the state’s industry, 18 plots had been misutilised for other purposes, while production activities had been closed in 96 plots and 7 sheds.

Director, Industries, Rajinder Singh, said several queries from investors requiring larger plots for major investments were being received and even field visits had been made by investors to select suitable land. He said they had directed such investors to complete the formalities, including furnishing their investment details.