BAHADURGARH:
Bahadurgarh
industries find themselves in a cesspool of reasons threatening to
blunt their market edge and in some instances even their force them to move
out.
Achyut Bhardwaj, director of Chemi Kleen, a Naraina Industrial Area-based
company, started from Bahadurgarh said, "Our distillation unit for
manufacturing perfumes is in Bahadurgarh. However, issues like broken roads, absence
of sewage lines and law and order have hit growth."
Now, they use the distillation unit there on a need-to basis. The state of
shambles ensured realty prices here remained low. A reason why Chemi Kleen
cannot profit in moving to a higher realty priced area. Bhardwaj said, "We
cannot shift out because we would not profit from selling our land and factory
here. Compared to areas in Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad, we are left
behind."
Pradeep Doot, assistant sales manager of Ruhil Developers said, "Property
rate in Bahadurgarh is around Rs 2,255 per sq ft whereas in Gurgaon and Noida
it is around Rs 5,000 per sq ft." Ruhil Developers has been in Haryana for
the last 15 years and is a major realty player. It has clients like Radico,
Jindal and Haryana Institute of Technology etc.
Transport, Sewage Issues
Pointing towards the transportaion, Bhardwaj said, "We cannot take our own
trucks or vehicles to transport goods because the union there, acting like
goons by stopping our trucks, want us to use their trucks."
Rakesh Pahuja, owner of New Leather, based out of Bahadurgarh Industrial Area
also concurred. He said, "The unions want monoply. If a company spends Rs
1,200 for transporting goods through their own truck, the union charges
double."
Apart from this, Pahuja also said that there are no sewage lines. "This is
one of the biggest issues. The water overflows on the roads and the situation
worsens with the monsoon. The government has not started the repair work,"
he complained.
Official Take
Gulshan Kumar, deputy general manager of Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure
Development Corporation (HSIIDC) said, "There are no problems plaguing the
industry here." Putting the onus on the proprietors he said, "Those
who want to work, they make their own arrangements like using digisets, making
sure that their work goes on. We have met the Industrial Association of
Bahadur-garh and plan to set up a 132 Kv power plant which should be up in 5
months."
Due to electricity shortage, AH Brothers shifted out of Bahadurgarh. The owner
explicated the decision by pointing to the endemic power cuts which were
disrupting operations.
Vipin Bajaj, President, Bahadurgarh Chamber of
Commerce and Industries said, "Small players barely survive due
to tough competition from Chinese goods, imported cheap. Moreover, since these
small industries are subject to stringent taxes and in the absence of a single
tax authority, they are forced to bear costs of preparing reports and running
to multiple authorities."
He also said that corporate firms of Gurgaon are the driving force behind the
city whereas Faridabad is an auto ancillary hub. However, Bahadurgarh does not
even have auto ancillary companies, which are a big source of employment
generation.