Himachal Pradesh CM woos corporate houses in Mumbai

SHIMLA: On day one of investors' meet in Mumbai, chief minister Virbhadra Singh claimed to have received good response from business houses with the state government together with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) joining hands to introduce the potential for investment in various projects in Himachal Pradesh to the corporate world.
Mahindra & Mahindra has proposed setting up an arts and crafts village and expanding resorts in lower belt of Himachal Pradesh while Amarson Limited and Meridian Group have offered an investment of Rs 600-700 crore with interest in solar and bio-mass energy. Those who interacted with the chief minster included the Tata group, which proposed to invest in hydro-power sector in a big way and proposed to set up five to six projects within a given time period. They also proposed introduction of cable cars and ropeways in the state.
Arun Nanda, chairman and director, Mahindra & Mahindra, while interacting in a one-to-one meet, proposed setting up an arts and crafts village and expanding resorts in lower belt of Himachal Pradesh for boosting tourism and setting up international educational institutes. He said that Mahindra & Mahindra will purchase their own land in Himachal if the government steps ahead to extend help in providing land to them in Dharamshala in Kangra.
Apurva Parekh, executive director, Pidlite, which at present is a major investor in the state, intends to invest and expand its manufacturing facilities with an additional investment. Amarson Limited and Meridian Group offered an investment of Rs 600-700 crore with interest-area in solar and bio mass energy using obnoxious weed lantana and pine needles for generating electricity, beside introducing house boats in Pong Dam.
The chief minister welcoming their initiative said that the government was paying for removal of lantana at Rs 10 per quintal or so and there was no dearth of lantana which will also provide indirect employment to local people. To start with, they offered to produce 250 KW of bio mass energy project.
Virbhadra Singh said that the proposal of opening a medical college in private sector in the state by D Y Patil Group has also been received, which at present were having as many 230 medical college in the country and the world.