Do they have any reservation since most iron ore mines are located in the Naxalite-hit areas?
I have had a talk with leading players for the lease of iron ore mines. So far none of them have expressed any reservation regarding the location of the mines. Anyway the government is trying its best to tackle the problem. Q: North India can gain by the presence of ministers like you and others from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, J&K and Delhi. A: Industrially, the entire north India has been left behind states like Tamil Nadu or Maharashtra. As these states had better infrastructure, the industry was attracted to the south. Getting investment is not the only thing. There has to be entire package of good roads, railway connectivity and education facilities. North has to catch up fast. It is picking up, but bottlenecks in infrastructure remain. Q: Northern states are divided over tax holiday given to Himachal. Why? A: HP is not the lone benefactor of this concession. Uttrakhand and J&K were also part of the package. Originally, the concession was meant to be till March 31, 2013. Punjab and
