GUWAHATI, July 15 � The Assam Government has made it mandatory for the industries set up in the State to fill up all the posts of unskilled workers and 90 per cent managerial posts with local persons , while, in case of skilled workers, the industries can bring persons from outside wherever skilled workers are not available. This was disclosed by Industries Minister Pradyut Bordoloi in reply to a question by Girindra Kumar Baruah (AGP) in the State Assembly today.
The Minister informed the House that because of the initiatives taken by the State Government, 23,000 local youths got jobs in the industries set up in the greater Guwahati area and the number would increase to 50,000 in the next three years. He expressed the view that the State has more than 16 lakh unemployed youths and industrialization is a must to ease the problem of unemployment.
Bordoloi asserted that the Government has not allocated any agricultural land to set up industries, but at the same time, he said that if any individual sold his or her land for setting up of industries, the Government would not be able to stop that. He said that the Government has decided to set up industrial parks in different parts of the State based on the raw materials available in those areas. Citing some such examples, he said that a few major pharmaceutical companies have expressed desire to set up units in the State and a pharmaceutical park would be established near Chaygaon in Kamrup district. He said that a Plastic park would be set up in Tinsukia for setting up downstream industries of the Gas Cracker Project, a food processing park being set up in Nathkuchi in Nalbari district, a textile park is being set up in Sipajhar in Darrang district, a bamboo park is being set up in Jagoroad and a banana processing park is being set up in Goalpara.
The Minister informed the House that the Government has initiated a series of measures for skill development of the local youths so that they become eligible for appointment in the industries to be established in the State. He said that new courses have been introduced in the Industrial Training Institutes and polytechnics of the State, while, batches of youths have been sent for training in the National Academy of Construction in Hyderabad. He said that the CIPET has also been expanded to ensure that there is no shortage of skilled manpower to work in the downstream industries of the Gas Cracker Project.
Commenting on the allegation that coke and cement industries are causing pollution, the Minister said that the matter is being looked into by the Pollution Control Board and all industries must get a certificate from the Board. At the same time, he said that there have been instances when industrialization faced opposition from different organizations without any reason. He revealed that 40 coke and 28 cement factories are functioning in the State. He admitted that it is difficult for the Government to control the price of cement, but he had discussed with the issue with the owners of the cement factories.
On the allegation of irregularities in releasing subsidies to the industrial units, Bordoloi said that the initial reports are collected through the district offices and it is disbursed through the NEDFi after a team of auditors from the Centre clears the proposals.
Bordoloi further informed the House that there is no policy of the Government to stop setting up of liquor industries and one multinational company- NB Distilleries and Breweries Limited has submitted a proposal to set up a unit at a cost of Rs 500 crore.
Earlier, raising the question, Grindra Kumar Baruah (AGP) said that industrialization should not affect the ecology of the State and referred to pollution caused by a cement factory in Bokajan. He said that as the newly set up industries are getting subsidies from the Government, they should be forced to appoint local youths. He also said that the cement factories should reduce the prices for the State.
Jiten Gogoi (Ind) said that the brick kilns should be treated as industries so that they can also get the benefits of the industrial policy. Such a step would help in bringing down the prices of bricks, he said.
Dr Kamala Kalita (AGP) said that as the new industrial units are getting subsidies from the Government, they should be forced to train up the local youths instead of bringing skilled workers from outside.
Pranab Kalita (Ind) said that specific industrial areas should be specified in each legislative assembly constituency and agricultural land should not be allowed to be used for setting up industries. He also opposed setting up of units of liquor companies.
Ramendra Narayan Kalita (AGP) said that large scale irregularities were taking place in disbursement of subsidies to the industrial units and demanded that a House committee should be set up to investigate into the same. He also alleged that a coke industry was causing pollution in the Rani area of Kamrup district.