Orissa to get ASIDE funds for 8 infra projects

Bhubaneswar: The Orissa government will develop export infrastructure in the state using the funds available under the Assistance to States for Development of Export Infrastructure and Allied Activities (ASIDE) scheme implemented by the Union government. This includes 8 projects costing about Rs 9 crore.

This was decided at the eighth meeting of the State Level Export Promotion Committee (SLEPC) on ASIDE chaired by the state chief secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Tripathy said, Rs 2 crore will be provided for construction of IT Towers by Orissa Computer Application Centre (OCAC) which will act as the MSME software park. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 33 crore.

The committee approved additional sanction of Rs 72 lakhs towards the state government’s equity through the special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed to implement the Rs 390 crore Haridaspur-Paradeep broad gauge railway line.

While Rs 1.5 crore was sanctioned to provide additional funds for the development of arterial road in the Infocity area of Chandaka Industrial Estate, Rs 1.83 crore was sanctioned for installation of 7.5 MVA substation at the Infocity to sort out the the low voltage problem.

The chief secretary said, additional funds of Rs 83 crore will be provided for vertical expansion of CIPET.

Similarly, Rs 1.5 crore will be sanctioned for setting up of an export oriented handicrafts design and marketing cell at Gandamunda in Bhubaneswar.

Similarly, Rs 1 crore was approved for setting up of a filigree centre at Cuttack by the industry department.

It also approved Rs 25 lakh for establishing a public-private-partnership (PPP) cell in the planning and co-ordination department.

Sources said, the Union government sanctioned Rs 51.97 crore to the state under the ASIDE scheme between 2003-04 to 2008-09. Out of it, Rs 42.59 crore has been spent by the state government so far.