Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy assured entrepreneurs and industrial units on Wednesday that the incentives promised, but unpaid for years by the previous government will be cleared by his government. “We will clear [the incentives]… government is a continuous process,” he told the State MSME Policy launch programme here on Wednesday, even while seeking to caution against letting politics come in the way of the development process. He said the Congress government will pursue good programmes and schemes launched by the previous regime and at the same time not hesitate to scrap decisions detrimental to the State’s interest. Incentives and subsidies disbursed for industrial units will eventually benefit the State government in the form of revenue generated from the operations of the units.Best suited Listing out the various measures initiated by his government and development plans, Mr. Reddy said Telangana with its infrastructure and ecosystem was best suited for global companies looking to set up operations in India as part of a China plus one manufacturing location strategy. The State government’s proposed Future City near Hyderabad as well as the Regional Ring Road and radial roads projects will further enhance the appeal of the State.Asserting that his government was open and approachable and extending all possible support for industries, the Chief Minister said micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) needed to be encouraged, particularly considering the employment opportunities they generate. He appreciated Industries and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu for spearheading the industrial development and being the brain behind the MSME policy. “Without a policy document, no State will develop,” he said.On the Young India Skill University mooted by the State government and the significance of creating skilled manpower pool, Mr. Reddy said the government will set up a corpus fund with ₹ 300 crore – ₹500 crore by seeking donations from industrialists for the management of the University. It has already announced that well-known industrialist Anand Mahindra will lead the university and the first meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday.Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka told the gathering that the pending incentives will be cleared in a phased manner given the financial situation of the State. He said MSMEs have a role to play in economic growth.Addressing the policy launch programme and later a meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Mr.Sridhar Babu said the pending incentive to industries since 2016 is ₹3,700 crore. “We will [release] in a phased manner… the Finance Minister has agreed.” Responding to queries from CII members, the Industries and IT Minister said the policy is the first step and the government would consider incorporating suggestions, if any, of industries. Senior officials of the Industries Department had earlier said the policy was evolved after multiple meeting seeking inputs from industry bodies and leaders as well as think tanks. Published – September 18, 2024 10:02 pm IST