Dhumal tells Pranab to extend industrial package

A week ago,the CM had raised the demand for extension of excise duty exemption on a public platform before UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi during the stone laying ceremony for Rohtang Tunnel at Manali.

“The Centre should consider extending the excise exemptions at least till March 31,2011,in order to encourage more investment and employment in the state. The benefits could also be extended to Morni Hills in Haryana and Pathankot hills in Punjab if these states have any objection to Himachal getting the package,” said Dhumal.

The CM also conveyed the concerns over falling credit deposit ratio (CDR) in the state and said: “With the expiry of excise duty exemption from April 1,2010,the situation of CDR is likely to get worse in future.” The CDR in Himachal has fallen to 40.7 per cent as compared to the national ratio of 71.1 per cent.

“Low CDR is a very serious matter as it reflects the flight of capital from the state to other areas,” an official statement quoted the CM as saying.

The state also expressed the need for banks to improve the crop insurance coverage in Himachal,which is only 10 per cent under the Rashtriya Krishi Bima Yojana.

Himachal also pressed for uniform guidelines in all banks for disbursement of wages of MNREGS workers through ‘business correspondence’ model in non-banking areas.