JAIPUR: The industries department will set up 147 new industrial areas in the next three years with 68 of them to be launched this year, said industries secretary and MD RIICO Ashutosh Pednekar on Thursday. He said these areas will be developed in less-industrially developed regions.

In October last year, the chief minister had launched 22 new industrial areas. The state currently has 350 such clusters.

Speaking at a FICCI event, Pednekar said Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) will be opened for investors from July as planned earlier.

He said in order to remove entry barriers for entrepreneurs, RIICO has reduced sizes of the plots from 1,000sqft to 250, 500 and 750sqft. “Entrepreneurs can get land at Rs 2 lakh,” added Pednekar.

Speaking on the progress of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor projects, Pednekar said already the joint venture company, Rajasthan Industrial Corridor Development Corporation, has been formed with the state government holding 51% equity and 49% by the Centre.

“We are expecting the modalities will be completed by the end of this month,” he added.