Hyderabad:  The District Collectors in Telangana State have been asked to don the role “Brand Ambassadors” to attract huge investments in their respective districts under the new industrial policy- Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self- Certification System (TS-iPASS).

The Collectors have been vested with all powers, including visiting other states and countries to showcase and promote their respective districts as best destination to set up industries and woo the investors.  The Collectors would be empowered to finalise the MoUs and agreements with private companies. In the previous policies, the Industrial Department was the authority to identify the area, the investors and then finalise the quantum of the investments.

As per the new policy,   District Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self-Certification System Committee (District TS-iPASS Committee) is headed by the district Collector.  It is the responsibility of the committee to ensure that all online queries and actual applications are forwarded to the officers concerned immediately and subject application to scrutiny twice a week.  

The Collector would provide single point TS-iPASS approvals on behalf of departments concerned. He would examine and forward appropriate cases to the State-level committee in case of rejection of clearances by the competent authority. The powers like allotment of land to the companies, finalisation of  the cost of the acquired land and providing employment to locals in the new industries has been vested with the Collectors in the districts.

The officials have every freedom to promote their districts depending on the availability of resources as investment hubs across the world. Taking the lead Mahbubnagar district Collector T K Sridevi drew overwhelming response from the investors. She said agreements worth more than Rs 600 crore investments in pharma, automobile and food processing sectors have been inked. More than 200 investors attended in two-day meeting in the district headquarters recently.    
 
The authorities of the State Industries Department said the decentralisation of issuance of permissions to the investors to set up industries in the districts would provide a fillip to industrial development in the state.  At present, Telangana was ranked sixth in terms of industries across the country.  District Collectors, who would attract huge investments, would be felicitated every year by the Chief Minister.

TS govt decides to vest all powers to ink agreements with captains of industries in district administration.Mahbubnagar Collector T K Sridevi has attracted 600 cr investment.Chief Minister KCR will felicitate the officers who attract huge investment in their respective districts.