Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has said that his government has created a land bank to expedite industrial development and data regarding the same can be accessed on the revenue department’s website, reports Business Standard (BS).

“This is a major step which will help interested entrepreneurs get information about availability of land as per their choice in one click,” added the CM.

The BJP government in the state is also making efforts to organise a global investors’ meet, which is scheduled for 10-11 June 2019. This will be the first time such an event will be held in Himachal Pradesh.

Thakur noted that this decision to organise an investors’ meet was the biggest initiative of the state government and it would help HP attract investment in sectors such as tourism, hospitality, resorts, pharmaceutical, information technology, health, herbal and ayurveda-based projects, horticulture, power, food processing, real estate and education.

Violation Of Rights?

However, some critics have argued that the Union Environment Ministry’s decision to place wasteland in HP under the land bank category for compensatory afforestation, violates the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

They allege that the rights of forest-dwelling communities on such land will further diminish due to this land transfer and the settlements of forest-dwellers will continue to be treated as illegal encroachments.

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