Freehold policy for Bawana, Narela Industrial areas soon: Delhi minister

New Delhi, May 17 (PTI) Delhi Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Saturday said a simple and clear freehold policy for industrial areas like Bawana and Narela will be announced soon.

He also assured factory owners that no industrial unit will be moved out of the national capital.

"We will not let a single factory shift from Delhi," Sirsa said.

The minister met with factory owners at the Delhi Secretariat to hear their concerns.

The meeting was organised by the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) and attended by representatives from major industrial areas including Bawana and Narela.

CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said factory owners welcomed the Delhi government's move to convert leasehold plots in Bawana into freehold.

Dinesh Kumar and Sushil Bansal from the Bawana Association said this demand has been pending for a long time, as most units still lack ownership rights.

Sirsa said the government is working on a simple and practical freehold policy, which will be announced soon.

From Narela, Sandeep Singhal and Satish Chhabra raised the issue of inconsistent circle rates.

They said that rates in Narela are much higher than in other areas. The minister assured that this difference will be resolved shortly.

Vinod Singhal and Pankaj Gupta from the Federation of Trade and Industry of India (FTII) raised the need for warehouse space, especially for traders dealing in pulses, rice and wheat.

Sirsa said a policy for setting up warehouses in outer Delhi is being prepared and was also included in the recent budget.

Concerns over the migration of industries from Delhi were also highlighted.

CTI Vice President Rahul Adlakha said about 30 per cent of factories have shifted to neighbouring states in the last five to six years.

"High electricity costs, increased minimum wages, multiple licensing requirements and regulatory burdens were the reasons," he said.

Sirsa asked trade bodies to submit a list of 15 key problems contributing to this shift so that the government can work on solutions.

"We are committed to improving the industrial environment in Delhi," he added. PTI SHB RHL