Chief minister Nitish Kumar and chief secretary AK Sinha at the Udyami Panchayat on Monday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

The government will form an expert committee to tap opportunities in the state’s manufacturing industry.

On the sidelines of the fifth Udyami Panchayat chaired by chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday, senior officials of the industries department said after formulation of the agriculture roadmap, the state government’s focus was now on the manufacturing sector.

“It has been decided that the government will form an expert committee with prime focus on the state’s manufacturing sector. Monday’s Udyami Panchayat also focused on manufacturing industries like iron and steel, plastic industry, pesticides, plywood sector, readymade garments etc. The committee will have on board officials of the industries department, industrialists and those in industry bodies. On the chief minister’s directions, the committee will be formed within three days,” principal secretary, industries, Naveen Verma told The Telegraph.

“The committee will look into ways to make the manufacturing industry stronger. It will take examples from other states. The advice of the Bihar State Industrial Investment Advisory Council, which consists of top industrialists of the country, will also be taken into account. The committee will come out with an exhaustive plan for betterment of the sector within three months,” Verma said.

The number of the committee members has not been decided yet.

“The manufacturing sector has immense potential in the state. Things just need to be more organised. The committee will prepare a time-bound action plan for the sector and submit its report within three months,” Verma added.

Officials said the state has seen a total investment of Rs 6,000 crore so far.

“Of it, Rs 5,000 crore came from investors in the state. At the Udyami Panchayat, participating industrialists demanded for the expansion, diversification and modernisation of the state’s industrial incentive policy. The different demands of industrialists and entrepreneurs will be taken into consideration,” Verma said.

The senior officer added that since the policy got cabinet approval, two groups (of landowners) — one belonging to Mokama on Patna’s outskirts and another in Rohtas district — have approached the state government and talks are on with them.

Sources told The Telegraph that the second meeting of the Bihar State Industrial Investment Advisory Council would be held in Mumbai on October 19. Their first meeting took place on September 15 last year. The council was formed by the state government and included 23 members, including top state industrialists and heads of financial institutions.

Earlier, officials had said that the meeting was expected to be convened in Patna.

“A majority of the council members is expected to attend it. The enforcement mechanism is not very strong when it comes to industries in the state and stress has been laid on the same. After the Raghuram Rajan report, the state is also looking forward towards large-scale industrialisation and the industrialists and entrepreneurs should be ready for the same,” another official of the department said.