Industries department indicate permissions to set up 37 industrial units

MUMBAI: With the Maharashtra government upbeat to attract investments and boost industrial production in the state, Industries department has said the number of permissions to set up industrial units cannot go below 37 but have been asked to rework on it by the government.

State Industries Minister Subash Desai said though his department has communicated that the number of permissions to set up industrial units cannot go below 37, officials have been directed to re-work on it as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier announced that the number cannot exceed 25.

"Officials from my department have told me that the permissions to set up an industry in Maharashtra cannot go below 37 as merging approvals from several departments has made the work complicated.

"But, I have conveyed to them that the Chief Minister himself, and I have already announced that the number has to come down to 25 and there is no going back on our words. Thus, officials have been asked to rework and further reduce the number of approvals," Desai said.

To a query, he said the government is keen on reducing the employment based on agriculture and thus preference is being given to industrial growth over environment.

The minister was responding to a query on the possible degradation of environment after the recent decision of the Centre to exempt industries requiring over 20,000 metres land from getting a clearance of the Environment department.

He further said the government is pushing industrial growth in Western and Konkan region of the state to stop migration of people from these regions.

"It has been seen that people mostly from Western and Konkan region migrate to cities like Mumbai for employment. If we can generate job opportunities in their own region, they will not be forced to look for employment elsewhere," he said.

Desai said Maharashtra is competing with nine other states, including Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana and Chhatisgarh in terms of Industrial growth.