The Chhattisgarh Government has decided to establish a large industrial area in Bilaspur district to meet increasing demand for land to establish new industrial units. The industrial area would be spread in an area of 795 hectares and would be developed at a project cost of Rs59.13 crore. The industrial area would be developed by Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation (CSIDC), officials stated.
The industrial area is being developed for steel plants, power plants/captive power plants and other core industries. Similarly, the State Government is also mulling over plans to establish an Aluminium Park in Korba.
The Park would be established on an estimated 140 hectares of land and had been proposed to promote the value addition in the Aluminium sector. The Park would be developed by Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation (CSIDC), officials stated. The State Government had already earmarked the land for the project.
The project is being set up to enable establishment of industrial units for manufacturing Aluminum Cables & Conductors, Casting Utensils,/Aluminium Extrusions for Doors,Windows, Bus body structures Components of Automotives, Aluminum Wheels, Plain & Printed Foils for Pharma and Other Packaging Industries, Aluminium powder, dross refinery, dross based articles, tubes, cans/cook wares, aluminium cores, checkered plates.
The CSIDC is already planning to develop a Plastic Park in the State. The Park will be developed as per a Scheme for setting up of Plastic Park by Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Government of India, officials stated.
The Central Government’s support under the Scheme by way of Grant or Equity will be limited to 50% of the project cost subject to a ceiling of Rs40 crores for parks.
The CSIDC has invited Entities, Organisation, Joint ventures, and Consortiums possessing the minimum requirements to participate in the project as co-developer in the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formed especially for development, management and operation of plastic park as per Central Scheme for the Plastic park.
The State of Chhattisgarh has emerged as a lucrative investment hub among its competing states with sectors like power, mining and minerals, manufacturing, sponge iron and steel, IT and ITeS, biotechnology, food processing etc. becoming key investment drivers and has attracted both domestic and foreign investment over the past few years, officials stated.
The investment flow into the State has increased significantly during the past five years. As per the provisions of the Plastic Park Scheme (GoI), the Project shall be implemented by a SPV. The CSIDC along with selected Co-developer will submit application for in-principle approval to Government of India. Upon getting in-principle approval CSIDC will form SPV with Co–Developer selected through this process.
The SPV thus formed will undertake preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for submission to Government of India for final approval co-ordination with Central Government, financial closure of the project, development and implementation of the Plastic Park.
The Co-Developer would play a lead role in developing the project, bear development cost of the park and take up marketing and promotion of the Park to at attract investments from units in the plastic segment.
Notably on January 13 this year, the Chhattisgarh Cabinet endorsed the State’s ‘New Industrial Policy 2014-19’. The approval to the policy was accorded in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Raman Singh at the Mantralaya in Naya Raipur. After the meeting, the Chief Minister provided detailed information about the Cabinet decisions.
He said that the policy includes the provision of subsidy worth Rs5 crore for establishing an Industrial Park in the private sector. Provision of establishing ‘land Bank’ over 10,000 hectares for various industries has also been included in the policy, Singh stated.
Moreover, to promote bicycle manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, electronic products, textile industries etc, these industries will be included as ‘Priority’ in the new industrial policy. The prescribed limit for mega project will be reduced for these industries, so that they may get benefits of mega-project on lesser investment, he said.
Under the new industrial policy, the Chief Minister Cluster Development Scheme will be initiated, under which the State government will provide Rs50 lakh as subsidy.
Singh said that on the lines of ‘Make in India’ concept, the State Government will implement ‘Make in Chhattisgarh’ policy under which manufacturing units of the related industries will be promoted with priority.
The domiciles of Chhattisgarh will be encouraged to set up their own enterprises and they will also be provided better employment opportunities, he said. Capital investment in the State will be promoted by making industry competitive in comparison to other states.
Weaker sections of society such as Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Disabled, Retired personnel, women and Naxal-affected families will be given preference under the policy. The mineral, forest and other resources available in the State will be naturally conserved, Singh said. For skill improvement of permanent residents of the State, participation of industries will be ensured, he said.
In the meeting, the Cabinet has decided to declare city route- District Raipur to Abhanpur, Rajim, Mandir Hasaud and Aarang to Naya Raipur till Mantralaya and District Headquarters- Dhamtari, Kabeerdham, Jashpur, Kanker, Gariaband, Balod, to nearby cities and towns of Mahasamund as adjacent routes for city bus services.
Incidentally, 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, officials stated. The State has received investment proposals to the tune of Rs1,61, 836 crores which is way ahead of its follower Maharashtra, officials said.