29 industrial areas of Delhi to be brought under single body

NEW DELHI: Delhi Industries Minister Satyender Jain today said all 29 industrial areas of the capital would be brought under an umbrella body within a year and provided essential infrastructure for smooth manufacturing and production.

Terming existing industrial areas such as Bawana and Narela as "failed experiments", Jain said the AAP government has planned to bring up two fully developed industrial areas in Bakrola and Rani Khera.

Addressing an Industry Body MSME summit, Jain once again vowed to eliminate "inspector raj" in the capital and made a pro-business pitch saying "government should actually do nothing in running businesses".

"Governments needlessly try to take credit for various policies. Instead it should step aside and let the industries work. Government cannot run businesses," he said.

"There should be a single agency. All industry areas would be brought under the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) within a year...two major industrial areas would come up at Bakrola and Rani Khera with all the adequate infrastructure unlike the existing ones," he said.

Jain further announced that the "22 non-conforming industrial areas", languishing due to poor infrastructure, would be "authorised" by the government by working with concerned agencies.

Expressing surprise at the "high power purchase agreements" of the power companies, which he said were leading to high tariff, the Minister, who also holds the power portfolio, said the Centre had agreed to the demand for a coal block.

"Once our own coal block is made operational their costs would come down. Till then the government may be audience but it would not simply sit quiet."

He also referred to the government's recent move to penalise discoms for unscheduled power cuts in the city.