Team News Riveting
Raipur, December 19
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel called upon the industry to set up small units to facilitate value addition of the state’s rich minor forest produce.
“For the convenience of industrialists, the State Government will take initiative to prepare a model project through the forest department for value addition of minor forest produce,” Baghel said at a function of industrialists held here Saturday.
It would facilitate industrialists in setting up such units, he said, adding that with the value addition, collectors would get good value for the forest produce besides it would generate employment for the local people in industry.
He said that rural industrial parks built in “Gothans (cowsheds)” were actively working in about 300 villages in the state. The women were engaged in employment and income by involving in various economic activities. It had boosted their confidence.
The Chief Minister said that a women’s self-help group in Ambikapur had also signed an agreement with a company to sell the ready-made vermicompost in “Gothan” at the rate of Rs 16 per kg.
Baghel assured the industry that there would be no shortage of iron ore and coal for the local units in Chhattisgarh. “The State Government is continuously making efforts in this regard with raising the issue with the NMDC and Central Government,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that when the entire country was affected by the economic slowdown following COVID-19 pandemic, Chhattisgarh bucked the trend. During the lockdown, Chhattisgarh’s industries started functioning in the month of April in the country.
“Our industrialists had contributed significantly as Chhattisgarh topped the GST collection,” Baghel said. Production continued even during the Corona crisis in iron ore and coal mines in Chhattisgarh.
The state government, in consultation with industrialists, had designed the new industrial policy. It had expedited inking 103 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in the last two years; drawing a capital investment of Rs 42,000 crore ($5.7 billion) is proposed.
