- The Regional Industrial Estates Development Program implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is a major program launched with the objective of promoting industries at regional level. The proposal made by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen, to allocate blocks of land from relevant Industrial Estates for the 14 project proposals recommended by the Project Evaluation Committee of the Ministry on a 35 years lease basis, out of the 34 project proposals received in response to the public notices published in the recent past for the selection of suitable investors for the vacant land plots in the industrial estates, based on their financial feasibility, income tax payments, payment of Employees Provident Fund, progress made on the repayment of bank loans, employment generation and environment friendliness etc. and to vest the land plots back with the Government in case of failure to start industries within the specified time frame as agreed upon by the investors, was approved by the Cabinet.