GUWAHATI: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) on Sunday stressed on skill development and cluster development as the focus areas to attract investments to Assam as well as the entire North East.
”ASSOCHAM thrust is on skill development and cluster development and we are planning and working towards more work in these two areas,” ASSOCHAM president Dilip Modi said here, after releasing a strategy paper on ‘Private Sector, An Engine of Growth in Assam’.
Referring to his meeting with Assam Industries and Commerce Minister Pradyut Bordoloi earlier on Sunday, Mr Modi said, ”We discussed 50 sectors in which skill develop-ment to check rural unempl-oyment can be done.”
”For cluster develop-ment, we have a roadmap for develop-ment of 250 clusters in the state and work on 10 such in food processing sector will start soon,” he added.
Mr Modi said the ASSOCHAM was analysing the strategic advantage of Assam due to its proximity with Bangladesh as well as further East and these aspects will be highlighted before ASSOCHAM members to encourage them to invest in the state as well as NE further. The geographical proximity should be made use of. The ASSOCHAM president also said that a special cell was formed in the ASSOCHAM to prepare a blue print for NE as a whole and it will be submitted to the prime minister within this month. ASSOCHAM general secretary DS Rawat pointed to the need to revisit the industrial policy of the state every year to make it more attractive and competitive.
He stressed on creation of Special Economic Zones to attract investments in real estate as well as in industries such as IT and biotechnology. (UNI)