Industrial hubs would be set up on the both sides of the Eastern Freight Corridor between Punjab and West Bengal passing through Uttar Pradesh - a decision which can help the state to kick start its industrial dream.
Chief Minister Akhilesj Yadav said that the Union Government has accepted, in principal, the demand of the Uttar Pradesh government to set up industrial hubs on both sides of the proposed 1800 kilometer long Eastern Freight Corridor like the Western Freight Corridor.
"The proposed industrial hubs would be set up at Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Jhansi, Etawah, Aurriya, Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi," Chief Minister said in a press conference held here on Sunday.
Almost 57 per cent of the proposed 1800 km long corridor passes through Uttar Pradesh. It enters UP in Saharanpur and after traveling over 1040 km it enters Bihar through Chandauli in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
"The Centre has set up an inter-ministerial group to study the feasibility report on the development of industrial hubs on both sides of the Eastern Freight Corridor. The group will give its report within a month time on the modalities and financial implication of the industrial hubs," the Chief Minister, flanked by Chief Secretary Jawed Usmani, said.
The State government has requested the Centre that since the corridor would be executed in states like UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Punjab, the representatives of these states should also be invited in the committee discussing on the industrial corridor.
Yadav had written a letter to Prime Minister dr Manmohan Singh on April 3 demanding Centre’s permission to set up industrial hubs along eastern freight corridor. "We got a positive response from the Union Government recently. If this project takes shape the industrialization of state would be speeded up," Chief Minister said.
"This industrialization will not only speed up development but also generate employment for the youth," he said and added that government would provide uncultivated land for setting up of industrial hub.
To a query about lurking fear of industrialists about law and order and power crisis Chief Minister said that the government was aware about these problems. "We are trying to increase power generation by setting up new power plants but we are not getting adequate support from the centre," he said.He also blamed the Centre for not providing coal for the thermal power units in the state affecting the power generation.
The Uttar Pradesh Government has proposed setting up of a National Manufacturing investment Zone in 5000 hectares of land on the Eastern Freight Corridor in Jhansi while another Paschimanchal Industrial Investment Zone at
Muzaffarnagar on 2000 hectares of land.Other proposals include: Braj Industrial Investment Zone at Mathur in 2000 hectares, Aurriya-Kannauj- Etawah Industrial Investment zone in 2000 hectares at Etawah, logistic Hub of Kanpur and Unnao for promoting leather and pharma at Kanpur, Allahabad-Bara- Naini Industrial Zone in 3000 hectares to promote power industry, cement and IT,and Mugalsarai- Varanasi industrial zone in 2000 acres to promote Textile and handlooms.The Eastern Freight Corridot begins from ludhiana in Punjab and goes across Haryana, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and ends at Dankuni in West Bengal.