Odisha to prepare economic corridor by March 2017.

Odisha has set a target of preparing conceptual development plan for Stage I of ambitious East Cost Economic Corridor (ECEC) by March, 2017.

Odisha has been included in ECEC, proposed to be implemented under the joint aegis of the Indian government and Asian Development Bank (ADB). Respective States along the eastern coast of India are also partners in the mega industrial corridors.

Technical teams of ADB would make assessment of the extent of land availability and proximity to utilities for the conceptual plan.

The ADB team will study flood line, forest area, other restricted areas, connectivity with highways, rail network, proximity to ports, airports, availability of utilities like power, water proximity to existing industrial agglomerations, proximity to urban centres, availability of housing and service eco-system in urban centres, availability of skilled manpower supply, presence of skill development training and incubation facilities .

A high level meeting between senior State officials and ADBdecided that State Industries Secretary and Chairman and Managing Director of Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) would be the nodal officers for the project while Industry department would be the nodal department for facilitating implementation of the project.

The corridor is expected to link Odisha with global industrial corridor and global value chain. Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi chaired the meeting.

As per the ADB team, the proposed corridor, India’s first coastal corridor, would cover approximately 1,700 km of coastal line and connect six major ports and three of India’s deepest draught ports.

The corridor would also connect mineral rich hinterland having 86 per cent of coal reserves, 82 per cent of iron reserves, 70 per cent of bauxite reserves and 40 per cent of natural gas reserves.

It would boost the industrial activities in Odisha more particularly in auto, electronics, petrochemicals, petroleum, iron, steel, food processing, textiles, naval shipyards, defence and space exploration.

The project would aim at mobilising investments for infrastructure development and investments for node centric development.

THE HINDU