The Consul General of India in Chicago showcased various achievements of Chhattisgarh Government during the ongoing tour of State Chief Minister Raman Singh of the United States, officials informed.
Dr Ausuf Sayeed, Consul General of India in Chicago highlighted achievements of Chhattisgarh during the past several years at Chhattisgarh Investors' Seminar at Westin in Chicago, they informed.
Chief Minister Raman Singh addressed 60 representatives of corporates and NRIs at the Chhattisgarh Investors' Seminar at Westin in Chicago.
The delegation earlier addressed a well-attended gathering of corporate houses at New York in the first leg of the tour.
State Industry Secretary Subodh Kumar Singh welcomed the gathering at the Investors' meet at Chicago.
He said that the State is committed to promote 'Make in India' campaign and make it a great success.
Tanya Jain, Manager, USIBC, also spoke at the seminar.
Katikeya Goel, Director of Chhattisgarh's Industries Department gave a detailed presentation on 'Credible Chhattisgarh: An Incredible launch' pad for business.'
Sunil Misra, Managing Director of Chhattisgarh Industrial Development Corporation (CSIDC) presented a vote of thanks.
Notably, the Central government has also put up the plans of Chhattisgarh Road Development Corporation (CGRDC) intending to develop roads measuring approximately 1859.29 kms in its 'Make In India document' which had been circulated to all the Indian missions abroad to seek foreign investment for development of India's road sector.
The document states that the State has also proposed developing a far better infrastructure than what is existing currently connecting states of Madhya Pradesh, Odhisha, Jharkhand , Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
Notably, Chhattisgarh is all set to get new national highways (NHs) with roads totalling length of 1367 kms, inform officials.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has assured of initiating necessary steps in this direction, they informed.
The assurance came during a meeting held between Chhattisgarh Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Rajesh Munat and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi recently.
Munat had informed the Union Minister that in February this year the latter had announced of constructing new highway of 1285 km in Chhattisgarh.
As per the present requirement of the State, a proposal for sanctioning of additional 1367 kms highways has been sent to the Ministry, Munat said.
Munat also urged Gadkari to speed up the work of Raipur-Bilaspur highway.
Over the Raipur-Dhmatari Highway development issue, the Union Minister directed the concerned officers to float tenders within a week.
Munat also requested Gadkari for establishing the Regional Office of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Raipur.
The Central government had approved a total of four highway projects in Chhattisgarh with total road length measuring 60.36 kms with an outlay of Rs161.68 crores during the last one year, officials stated.
Most of these projects are proposed to be implemented under Engineering, Procurement Construction (EPC) mode. The scheduled completion time of these projects generally varies from 24 to 36 months.
The maximum number of highway projects were approved in Uttar Pradesh at 13.
Chief Minister Raman Singh in September this year had also addressed the Global Investors' Meet organized by the ASSOCHAM in New Delhi.
He invited the entrepreneurs to invest in rapidly developing Chhattisgarh.
Chhattisgarh is an ideal investment destination as it provides security and safety, he said.
Singh added that Chhattisgarh is viewed as insurgency-infested State. The menace had been stamped out. The State Government had provided basic amenities-road connectivity, electricity, education and medical facilities in the insurgency- infested regions of the State.
The socio-economic environment had drastically changed in the past few years. An ultra-mega steel plant worth Rs18,000 crore is being set-up in Bastar region by the Steel Authority of India limited. Another ultra-mega steel plant worth Rs18,000 crore is being set-up by the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), the Chief Minister stated.
A 235-km railway track is being laid from Dallhirajhara to Raoghat-Jagdalpur. About Rs40,000 crore is likely to invested in Bastar soon. 'Education City' had been established at Dantewada for the children of victims of Naxal violence, he said.
Both Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat later unveiled a booklet on the occasion.
Singh spoke in detail regarding the achievements of new State Chhattisgarh. The Electricity generation is 24,000 megawatt which is five times the demand. The target is to attain electricity generation of 35,000 megawatt by the year 2020.
About 37,000 kilometer road network had already been laid and another nine thousand km will added in another four years. An investment of Rs 35,000 crore will be done on laying of roads in the next couple of years. About 550 km railway network is being expanded. The proposal is to expand 1300 railway network in five years, he said.
Singh revealed that Raipur's Swami Vivekananda Airport had bagged the Best Airport Award in the non-metro category. Cargo facility also had been started this year. Efforts are being made to upgrade it as an International Airport.
Air strips had been laid at Bilaspur, Jagdalpur, Raigarh and Ambikapur. Steps had been taken to develop air services in all four corners of the State. Container depot is being built at Naya Raipur on a 100-acre site, he said.
The Chief Minister added that paddy is the main crop of the State. The State had bagged National Krishi Karman Award in record production of paddy three times and for pulses once.
Singh said that the State Budget was Rs5000 crore only which had risen to 76,000 crore in the fiscal 2016-2017. The G.S.D.P had increased by five times from Rs47,000 crore to Rs250 thousand crore during the past 15 years.
He added that There are 42 Industrial Zones in the State at present. Metal Park, Engineering park, Food park, Plastic park and Aluminium park are in the process of being established. There is a proposal to establish an Industrial Zone in every district. The zones are provided with electricity, roads and water facilities.
Singh called upon the investors to apply 'Online' and get land allocated the next day.
He added that six thousand hectare land bank is being planned.
Investment proposals to the tune of Rs6.59 lakh crore had been received, which is nearly 14 per cent of the investment proposals in the entire country. The MoUs to the tune of Rs55,000 crore had been inked in the current fiscal. They are related to the coal gassification, railways, steel, defence, engineering, food processing, solar energy, electronics and information technology sectors. Abundant resources are available in the State which can contribute manifold in the rapid development of the country, he said.
The Chief Minister said that the State had progressed tremendously in the 'core' sectors-steel, cement, aluminium and electricity generation. The focus now is on the non-core sectors-electronics, information technology, defence industry, railways, heavy engineering, 'plastium' industry, food processing, herbal processing and Services sector.