New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The government has said that focus should now move beyond project approvals towards timely completion of infrastructure, land allotment, investment and commencement of production.
Union ministers have called for faster and outcome-oriented implementation of industrial corridor projects, with greater focus on timely investment and operationalisation, according to an official statement.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged states to resolve bottlenecks relating to land, connectivity, utilities, statutory clearances and the powers of project special purpose vehicles (SPVs).
The minister stressed the need for integrated planning through PM GatiShakti and continued use of investor-friendly land allotment mechanisms.
Worker housing, healthcare, skilling, public transport and other social amenities, she said, should form an integral part of industrial development.
She also highlighted the government’s support for infrastructure and manufacturing through enhanced public capital expenditure, support to States under SASCI, improved credit support for manufacturing MSMEs, and tax and customs measures aimed at strengthening domestic manufacturing and supply chains.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that ‘BHAVYA’ and future industrial developments should be aligned with PM GatiShakti and planned through an integrated area-development approach.
The minister called for focused investor outreach and stronger marketing of industrial nodes, including leveraging opportunities arising from India’s Free Trade Agreements and exploring country- and sector-specific industrial enclaves.
According to the statement, Goyal emphasised the need to match investor requirements with suitable locations and develop ready-to-use industrial ecosystems with plug-and-play infrastructure, flatted factories, worker housing and supporting economic and social infrastructure.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal emphasised the integration of national waterways with Industrial Corridors and suggested examining waterways as a potential spine for corridor development.
He also stressed the need to develop industrial infrastructure in the North-Eastern States to broaden the country’s industrial base, particularly at locations offering strong connectivity, land availability, local resource advantages and market potential.
Ashok Kumar Lahiri, Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog, urged state governments to give greater priority to empowering project SPVs with adequate planning, development and municipal powers, in line with the approved institutional and legal framework of the Industrial Corridor Programme.
The minister attended the third meeting of the apex monitoring authority of the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT).
—IANS
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