Himachal Pradesh wants excise exemption extended
Prem Kumar Dhumal , Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, has made a request to the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, to deliver justice to the people of Himachal Pradesh by extending the Special Industrial Package.
In a letter written to the Prime Minister, he said the nation was poised to emerge the world economic power under his stewardship. He said that hilly people of Himachal Pradesh had pinned hope over his personal intervention in the issues relating to the state interest so that it could also keep pace with the changing time and overall development of the state carried, especially in the industrial developmental activities.
He said that under the Package the excise duty exemption was set to expire by March, 2010, which had attracted some multinational investors but implementation of the economic stimulus measures, especially involving cuts in the rates of Central Excise Duty were also to end up significantly eroding the comparative advantage of industry which had planned or made investments in Himachal.
He hoped that Shri Virbhadra Singh, Union Minister for Steel would use his good office to get the package extended well before the Central Excise Duty Exemption date expired. He said that with the State having two Union Cabinet Ministers the package would be got extended in the best interest of the people in general of the State.