Unused land belonging to closed and sick public sector undertakings (PSUs) and non-PSUs could be offered to new industrial units at reasonable rates for expansion purposes.

This is among the various suggestions made by the German political foundation, Konrad Adeneur Foundation (KAF) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to boost industry in Bihar.

The Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) should also make efforts to modernise and computerise the land recording system to avoid confusion, it said.

Power sector

The suggestions, released in Patna, on Monday, also called for entry of private players in the power sector.

It also sought higher power allocation for Bihar from National Thermal Power Corp from the present 25 per cent to 50 per cent.

Also, the State should do away with fuel surcharge of electricity for industrial units and rationalise the tarifnbf rates for industrial units.

“There should be the provision of fuel (diesel) subsidy on the usage of diesel-run generator sets for tiny units” it said.

Connectivity

Among the other suggestions is conversion of most National Highways into four-lane roads and all State Highways to two lanes during the present Plan period.

“For improved connectivity between North and South Bihar, there is a need to construct mover bridges over River Ganges,” it said.

For enhancing skills, the paper calls for increase in Central allocations for each Industrial Training Institute in the State from Rs 2 crore to Rs 10 crore

“ITIs must focus on a training embedded curriculum with proper skill formation to help to reach the optimum level of labour productivity in the State,” it says, espeically in rural areas for workers and the handloom and powerloom sector.

The paper spelt out in detail the various measures that could be taken to boost private agri-business companies, rationalise taxation, increase credit availability, technological upgradation of cottage industry clusters etc.

Aditi.n@thehindu.co.in

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