Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said big industrial houses having technical skills but lack of work experience in defence sector, will be asked to set up units at Bundelkhand Defence Industrial Production Corridor as officials have met industrialsist and prepared a detailed project report (DPR).
“The ground work has started in the right earnest. We are focussing on small production units with capacity to deliver varied quantity of items as required by defence sector. Besides, it has to be assessed as how these industries can fulfill our demand. Our officials are talking with these MSMEs and taking their views and consultingthem before preparing the DPR,” Sitharaman said while addressing media persons on the 38th Foundation Day of the BJP in lucknow on Friday. The Union Minister said that there were also big industries who have technical knowledge but have never worked in the defence sector. “Officials are in consultation with them and asking them to open their units at Bundelkhand Defence Industrial Production Corridor,” she informed. “Besides, a Defence Expo will be organised soon in Chennai. The experience of that Expo will be shared with UP officials and the Government to know as to what exactly we can do in Bundelkhand,” the Defence Minister said. Sitharaman said that after assessing the situation by talking to MSMEs and industrial units in the corridor, the Centre will talk to UP Government and see how the proposed Bundelkhand Expressway to be constructed by the State Government would benefit the corridor. As per the project announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Industrial Summit in lucknow in February, the Defence Corridor will come up along the Expressway linking Chennai and Bangalore. Sitharaman said that once the corridor became operational, the problem of unemployment, backwardness and poverty in Bundelkhand would go for ever. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was also present in the Press conference, said that the Defence Production Corridor would be a milestone in the history of the State. “Work for the Defence Corridor has started and the UP Government too is extending help by constructing Bundelkhand Expressway for which survey has been completed and a DPR would now be charted out,” he said. Yogi said said that the Rs 20,000-crore Defence Production Corridor in Bundelkhand would generate 2,50,000 jobs and bring development to one of the most impoverished regions of the country.