Large amount of 'upfront money' needed at limestone auctions, investors keep away: Himachal minister

The Himachal Pradesh government is preparing guidelines to split limestone deposits into smaller lots so that investors who want to set up cement plants find it easier to pay the upfront amount at auctions, according to the reply to a question raised in the assembly on Monday.

Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said the investors are not coming forward to set up cement plants in Himachal Pradesh due to the high upfront money.

Replying to a question of Deep Ram (BJP), Chauhan told the Vidhan Sabha during the Question Hour that heavy upfront money was becoming a hurdle and the government has decided to split the limestone deposits for mining lease to reduce the burden and guidelines for splitting the deposits and their auction is being prepared.

Replying to another question of Satpal Singh Satti and J R Katwal ( both BJP) and KL Thakur (Independent), the minister said the government has developed 3,594 plots in 67 industrial areas and presently 305 plots with area of 49,54,88 sq mts were lying vacant due to various reasons.

Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani told DS Thakur (BJP), Vipin Parmar (BJP), Bikram Singh (BJP) and Chetanya Sharma (Congress) that the government would soon issue e-taxi permits to 500 youth and in all 1,218 applications have been received.

For applying for e-taxi permits, it was mandatory that the applicant was a Himachali and unemployed, he said.

Dharmani said the government saved Rs 28 lakh last year on petrol and diesel by using e-vehicles and added that instructions have been issued to all government departments to purchase only e-vehicles.

Presently, there are 110 e-buses in 3,200 bus fleet of Himachal Roads Transport Corporation (HRTC) and fifty per cent rebate was being given in state road tax and token tax has been waived off to encourage the purchase of e-vehicles.

Youth Services and Sports Minister Yadevendra Goma told Kewal Singh Pathania (Congress) that the government would intervene in case the sports bodies fail to conduct the elections on time and recognition was given to the sports bodies registered by the Registrar Cooperative Societies. He said that Rs 15 lakh each has been given for developing playgrounds in all the assembly constituencies.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)