It is official now that that HCl would promote IT City in the state capital. The state cabinet approved this decision besides it paved the way for construction of Agra-lucknow Expressway through Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) model by governmentfunds.
The UP government has also given its nod for a new UP Water Resources Regularity Authority and has also decided to re-appoint retired medical officers in government hospitals on contractual basis.Chief Secretary Jawed Usmani, briefing media persons along with the head of the departments of the concerning departments, said here on Friday that now the 301 kilometer long Agra- lucknow Greenfield Expressway would be constructed through EPC model in next three years time.
Earlier, Government had proposed to build the said road on Public- Private Partnership (PPP) model.''PPP model is not so attractive for the investors now due to the recession, so this new EPC model has been adopted. Even NHAI adopts this policy,'' the CS said while claiming that it is a world phenomenon and this Government move should not be treated as if investors are avoiding Uttar Pradesh.As per the new condition in the EPC, the contractor would be asked to maintain the road for next five years time while the earlier condition was just for 3 years. The entire road would be 110 meter broad and the state government would spend around Rs 8944 crore.
Meanwhile, the state cabinet approved Vamasundari Investments Private limited, on behalf of HCl Enterprise, as developer for the state's flagship IT City project in Chak Ganjaria in lucknow.In spite of two extensions and Herculean efforts by UP's information technology department to get bidders for the IT City project, Vamasundari was the lone company that participated in the bid, The 10-member sub-committee of the PPP Bid Evaluation Committee evaluated the bid and found it technically fit.
UP Principal Secretary (IT) Jivesh Nandan said that within a fortnight a MoU will be signed with the company. They will be asked to set up a developmental centre in 30 acres of land and a skill development centre in 10 acres. HCl will invest around Rs 1500 crores in the project.Targeting 25,500 jobs for people once it is established, the
100-acre IT City project is to come up on Chak Ganjariya farms, and has already been accorded Special Economic Zone status by the government of India.Once implemented, IT companies will be offered sops in keeping up with the state's IT Policy 2012 which focuses on skill development and increased employability. Among key provisions of the policy, UP will offer a 5% interest subsidy and a 100% stamp duty exemption to all new IT industries that set up shop in UP.
In other decisions, the UP government decided to set up a new UP Water Resources Regularity Authority to regulate the optimal use of water for irrigation and other purposes.Usmani said that the Authority would be constituted through an Ordinance and it will take the place of a previous Authority which was set up in 2006.
Principal Secretary water resources department Deepak Singhal said that the new Authority, an autonomous body, has been set up on the directives of the Central government. UP will receive around Rs 1300 crore from the Centre for water resources management after setting up this authority, he added.
The Authority will have a chairman and four members, whose term would be of two years.In an another decision, the state government has decided to include six B Ed colleges in the state on the list of aided colleges. These colleges are situated each in Hatras, Kanpur Dehat ,Sant Kabir Nagar, Jaunpur,Meerut and Hamirpur districts.
The government has also approved hike in the awards given by the UP Science and Technology Council. The cash award for Vigyan Gaurav has been increased to Rs 5
lakhs from Rs one lakh given to one person every year. Similary amounts of other cash awards including Vigyan Ratna, Yuva Ratna and Bal Ratna have also been hiked.UP government has also decided to shift the Etawah district jail, which is in the centre of the city,to Pulapur village in Saifai tehsil for which 61.83 acres of land would be required.
The government has also identified three wildlife sanctuaries of Kaimur, Okhla and in Kannauj for Eco-sensitive zone. No commercial mining would be done in one kilometer area after Centre notifies the eco-sensitive zone.
The government has also decided to re-appoint specialized medical officers up to the age of 65 years to strengthen the health system in the state.The state government has also decided to recommend to the Centre for placing the Kanjarai caste, presently in the Schedule Caste category, as Schedule tribes.