US Consul General in India Thomas Vajda said that leading US firms are impressed by the investment potential in Chhattisgarh and are interested in holding a round-table meeting with Chief Minister Raman Singh in this regard.
Vajda met Singh at his residence and invited him for a round-table meeting in Mumbai in near future. Singh thanked Vajda for the invitation and informed him about the ‘Global Investors Meet’ likely to be organised by Chhattisgarh Government in January-February next year, officials said. Singh also informed Vajda that the Chhattisgarh Government will go to major cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru to hold discussions with the investors for different sectors.
“We intend to hold separate meetings with the investors for solar energy, information technology, pharmacy, minor forest produce, food processing and other eco-friendly industries. We will meet the investors with concrete proposals,” said Singh. Singh apprised him of natural characteristics of the State and said that the State holds 20 per cent share in the national iron ore production.
Similarly, Chhattisgarh’s contribution is 18 per cent in the total coal production of the country and 30 per cent of the total aluminium production of the country.
He also informed Vajda about the visit of a delegation from Montgomery (America) in the previous month. Vajda also inquired about insurgency problem in the State to which Singh said that it is a national problem and all the affected States have prepared a joint action plan with the Central Government and launched a campaign against Naxalism.
He said that Chhattisgarh Government is getting all possible help from the Central Government for permanent solution of the Naxal problem. Work is going on according to a comprehensive strategy formed for maintaining law and order and protection of life in the insurgency-hit areas. The Surguja region of the State is free from Naxal problem while the restive Bastar region will soon be relieved from the problem, Singh told Vajda.
The American delegation from Montgomery which was on a two-day visit to Chhattisgarh, last month, had a look at various ongoing and completed projects in the State’s hi-tech administrative capital.
The delegation was impressed by the architecture and appreciated the authorities for preserving the culture of the State while planning Naya Raipur. The 18-member delegation led by Isiah (Ike) leggett had stated that the greenery, water harvesting and better infrastructure makes Naya Raipur different from new cities. leggett had also appreciated the rural development scheme and skill development besides rehabilitation schemes.
A day earlier, the US delegation had met Chief Minister Raman Singh and held discussions about possibilities of mutual cooperation between Chhattisgarh and Montgomery in the field of health, herbal medicines, non-conventional energy, information technology, handicraft and biotechnology. leggett had consented for cooperation in various sectors of economy and also expressed interest in the field of generic medicines.
Singh had informed the delegation about 14 years journey of the State and said that it has developed as ‘zero power cut’ State. In the Core sector, the State has a share of 19 per cent of the total production of the country in cement, steel and aluminium. It is connected to 14 big cities through air.
He said that the number of universities in the State is 13 and the number of colleges has reached 650. The State has AIIMS, NIT and IIIT besides law University.Singh also explained the delegation of the development projects of Naya Raipur which is being developed as a modern city of 21st century. Notably, on October 31, this year, the State Government had announced that Chhattisgarh has received maximum proposals in the country for setting up industrial projects says the latest Industrial Entrepreneurs Memorandum (IEM) list released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) Government of India.
The State has received investment proposals to the tune of `1,61, 836 crores which is way ahead of its follower Maharashtra, officials said. Chief Minister Raman Singh credited the achievement to the conducive industrial environment and developing people of the State and said that he anticipates that these proposals will convert into real investments.
This will take the industrial growth rate much higher than other States, he said. The officials said that according to the IEM list released in September 2014, as many as 24 big investors have filed IEMs for setting industries in Chhattisgarh with an investment proposal of `1,61,836 crores. For an investment of more than `5 crore the IEM is filed with the DIPP. Of the total proposals filed with DIPP about 45 per cent investment proposals are for Chhattisgarh.
The proposals are mainly for setting up iron and steel, power, solar power, mining, food products, food processing etc industries in the State. It may be recalled that on October 14, this year, the Central Government had also approved Chhattisgarh Government’s proposal of establishing an ‘Electronic Manufacturing Cluster’ in Naya Raipur, officials informed.
The Electronic Manufacturing Cluster will be established by Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation ltd (CSIDCl) during the next three years. The CSIDCl had sent a proposal to the Central Government regarding development of ‘Electronic Manufacturing Cluster’ over 70 acres of land in Naya Raipur.
The estimated cost of the ‘Electronic Manufacturing Cluster’ is `105 crore where the Central Government will contribute `50 crore for the project while remaining expenses will be borne by the State Government itself.