Chhattisgarh is the only State among 16 others listed by the Centre with no exports recorded from its Special Economic Zone (SEZ) during financial year 2015-16 as on December 2015, the Central Government has informed.
However, total exports from State’s SEZ during 2014-15 stood at Rs 3.19 crore and Rs 1.84 crore in 2013-14.
Export Promotion Council for EoUs and SEZs (EPCES) has been undertaking several activities for enhancing exports as well as resolving issues concerning EoUs and SEZs.
The Central Government, on the basis of inputs/suggestions received from stakeholders on the policy and operational framework of the SEZ Scheme, periodically reviews the policy and operational framework of SEZs and takes necessary measures so as to facilitate speedy and effective implementation of SEZ policy.
The exports from Food and Agro, IT/ITeS, Automobiles and Auto ancillaries manufacturing, leather, Footwear and Sports goods Sector, Electronic and Hardware and Software services and Textiles sector SEZs during the last five years .
Notably, Chhattisgarh’s new hi-tech capital — Naya Raipur would have an ‘Integrated Freight Complex’ spread in an area of 130.67 hectares, officials stated.
Early this year, Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had also put forward a proposal that a ‘Cargo Hub’ should be developed in Naya Raipur.
He had stated that his Ministry will bear the entire development cost if the Chhattisgarh Government agrees to provide land for the proposed hub.
To this, Chief Minister Raman Singh who had met the Union Railway Minister in New Delhi and had assured the latter that his government will provide land for the project.
The Chhattisgarh government is already in the process of upgrading infrastructural facility to further accelerate Export-Import ( EXIM) activity from its Inland Container Depot (ICD) located at Kapa in old Raipur.
The project cost of the proposed works within the ICD campus is Rs 3.10 crore, officials stated. The project had been undertaken under ‘Developing Export Infrastructure & Allied Activities’ (ASIDE) scheme of the Central government .
Significantly, in 2014-15, Raipur Railway division coming under South East Central Railway (SECR) loaded 31.85 million tonnes of freight which is highest since the formation of its Raipur division.