Rajya Sabha member N.K. Singh on Sunday emphasised on the need to formulate an industrial action plan on the lines of the agriculture roadmap for the all-round development of the state.

“Bihar Industries Association (BIA) should take initiative in this direction. If the agriculture cabinet can be formed, why not an industrial cabinet?” Singh asked while addressing an interactive session on “Development of Bihar” organised by BIA.

He urged the BIA members to come up with “focused suggestions” on the industrial action plan so that it could deliver benefits to the entrepreneurs.

On the Bihar government’s repeated insistence for a special status and not a special package from the Centre, Singh said the former was a better option in the larger interests of the people of the state.

“As part of the special package, states get 70 per cent of the total amount as grant and 30 per sent as loan. On the contrary, the states get 90 per cent of the amount as grant and only 10 per cent as loan as part of the special status,” he explained.

The bureaucrat-turned-MP said the issue related to land acquisition across the country would be addressed soon as a new land acquisition bill was likely to be passed by Parliament within two months.

“The new land acquisition policy has already been approved by the Parliamentary Standing Committee and will be tabled in Parliament soon,” he added.

“With a land acquisition act coming into force, the states would be able to redress the grievances of landowners,” Singh added.

On the power crisis in the state, Singh said the state government was making all efforts to bridge the gap between demand and supply. “Chief minister Nitish Kumar has discussed the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia. Nitish is trying everything to improve the situation,” he added.

The Rajya Sabha member said the Union government has in the recent Budget talked about opening agro-manufacturing hubs across the country.

Prominent among those who addressed the session included BIA president KPS Kesari and industrialists K.P. Jhunjhunwala, S.P. Sinha, Bharat Lal Gupta, Krishna Lal, B.N. Chaubey and Sanjay Goenka.