Uttarakhand government would evolve a joint strategy with Himachal Pradesh to take up the issue of extension of Concessional Industrial Package (CIP), which expires this month, with the Centre.

Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank on Friday told reporters that he had  talked to his Himachal Pradesh counterpart Prem Kumar Dhumal in this regard the day before and the latter had agreed to his proposal to jointly take up the matter of extension of CIP beyond Mar 31 with the Centre.

Himachal Pradesh is also the beneficiary of the CIP announced by the Union government in 2003.

To a question whether he would stage a dharna before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as he had announced earlier to press for his demand, Nishank said he has kept all the options open in this regard.

Nishank has been seeking extension of CIP till 2020 stating that it is necessary for the industrial growth of the backward hill state.

Following the announcement of CIP in 2003, Uttarakhand witnessed an industrial boom with topnotch companies like Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Hero Honda, Mahindra & Mahindra and Britannia setting up their units in the state.