While Raipur gains from finally being included in the ‘Smart City’ development list, Centre’s rejection of giving international airport tag to Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur would make the task uphill for the Chhattisgarh Government to get high number of foreign investors set up high-tech industrial projects in capital city Naya Raipur.
For example, Software development centres and IT units besides those investors with global footprint largely require maximum proximity to an international airport where the frequent movement of their employees working on offshore projects could become easier and hassle free.
Moreover, Chhattisgarh Government had indicated last month that it might replicate the Airport Economic Zone infrastructure model of Chinese city of Zhengzhou in Henan province. The airport economic zone in Zhengzhou is a great initiative by the Government of Henan which is worth replicating in Chhattisgarh, officials had stated.
A host of key Chinese companies from Zhengzhou city of Henan province in China signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) worth 945 million USD (approx. ` 6,600 Crore) for setting up a wide set of industrial projects in Chhattisgarh during Chief Minister Raman Singh’s week-long tour to China last month.
As per the MoUs, Chinese companies will primarily invest in manufacturing of solar power equipment, railway and building construction material sectors in Chhattisgarh.
Notably, the Chhattisgarh government has already decided to set up an IT SEZ in the vicinity of the Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) to be established at Sector 22 in Naya Raipur.
The EMC would be at located about 7 kms from the Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur. The site enjoys abundant water supply from the Mahanadi river and also have also sufficient power connection to cater the needs of operation in EMC, officials stated.
The location of the EMC is at Tuta village of Naya Raipur . The chief promoter of the project is Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation (CSIDC) and the project is to be established in an area measuring 70 acres .
Notably, the Central government had turned down the proposal of Chhattisgarh government to provide an ‘international’ tag to the Swami Vivekananda Airport while terming it as ‘unviable’. The proposal of Chhattisgarh Government to declare Swami Vivekananda Airport as an international airport was examined thoroughly by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation but found international traffic projections low for approving the proposal, officials informed.
It may be recalled that the Chhattisgarh government had tried very hard to get an international tag for Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur for the past several years.
Meanwhile, a provision of Rs 126 crore for extension of Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur and upgradation of Raigarh airstrip had been made in the Chhattisgarh State budget 2016-17.
Notably, State Minister for Urban Administration and Development Amar Agrawal in January this year had also proposed the idea of direct flights to China from Raipur during his meeting with Consul General of People’s Republic of China MA Zhanwu.
On the other hand , the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is taking up runway extension work as well as expansion of Apron suitable for 'C type' category of Aircraft at the Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur.
The current runway length is 2286 meters and would be extended by another 965 meters. AAI has also decided to further expand passenger amenities at the integrated terminal of Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur.
Notably, although, there had been a quantum jump in the number of domestic passenger arrivals at the Swami Vivekanand Airport during the past two years, officials stated.