PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/ Nainital
The 16th Finance Commission of India met representatives from tourism sector, industry and trade to strengthen the economic structure of Uttarakhand. The meeting was chaired by the chairman of the commission, Arvind Panagariya while a number of its members attended. The representatives put forth regional problems, development constraints and policy suggestions.
Nainital Hotel Association’s Ved Prakash Sah stressed the need to develop the hill stations like Nainital and Mussoorie as smart and sustainable cities. He recommended an environment-friendly master plan that includes rainwater harvesting, waste management, cable car and PPP model based parking arrangements.
Industries Association of Uttarakhand’s Pankaj Gupta suggested measures such as tax holidays, disaster insurance funds and deregulation. He also recommended the development of logistics parks and disaster-resilient infrastructure.
Kumaun-Garhwal Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Ashok Bansal demanded restoration of the Centre’s subsidy schemes and a special industrial fund of ₹5000 crore. CII’s Harshit Gupta spoke about inclusion of SEZs, new industrial areas and MSMEs in disaster policy.
Panagariya appreciated the suggestions and said that these would be considered.
