Hyderabad: The TS government has fixed 18-month deadline for industries functioning in the city to shift outside the Outer Ring Road limits.
About 1,068 polluting units have to shift within a year and the rest by December 2017. The move is aimed at checking environmental pollution caused by these industries.
Industries minister K.T. Rama Rao, who reviewed the issue with officials on Saturday, made it clear that no industry will be allowed to function within city limits after December, 2017.
There has been a long-pending demanding from residential colonies surrounding these industries for their shifting. Though subsequent state governments since the last 15 years tried to shift the industries outside the city limits, it could not be done due to various reasons like stiff opposition from industries.
However, he said, the TS government is firm on shifting these industries in the interest of public health and environment and to increase the quality of life in the city. The government offered incentives to encourage these industries to move out of city limits.
TS Industrial Infrastructure Corporation has been directed to work in coordination with HMDA to develop such clusters on a war footing in government lands.
Mr Rao has promised to consider the request of chemical and pharma companies to allot space in the newly-developed Pharma City on city outskirts for shifting of their units located in city.
Mr Rao also met representatives of MSMEs to revive the sick units. They sought reduction in property tax, water charges etc.
They also sought 1,500 acres of land to set up their units. They complained that banks were harassing them by declaring their units as Non-Performing Assets though there was a possibility of reviving them by extending smaller loans.
The minister assured that the government will soon come out with a separate policy for revival of MSMEs in which all these issues will be addressed.
