State capital set for a total makeover

- Plan to form State Capital Region Authority
- Naveen launches webiste with details of projects
- An integrated industrial township mooted

BHUBANESWAR:
After making waves in attracting investment proposals during last half-decade, Orissa is now all set to give its capital city a complete makeover by shaping it to a vibrant metro centre by 2030.
An outline on State's industrial scenario brought out by `Team Orissa', a body that facilitates industrial development and investment promotion, said the State Government was actively considering forming State Capital Region Authority (SCRA).

Website launched

A website with details of different project proposals and policies of the state, was launched by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the occasion of inauguration of the Entrepreneurships' Week, 2007 here on Monday.
The State Capital Region would be directly linked with Paradip, an important port town and state's premier industrial hub, through an alternative 91-kilometre road with an estimated cost of Rs 700 crores.
Similarly, an investment to the tune of Rs 900 crores had been estimated for the Capital Region Ring Road (Khurda-Bhubaneswar-Cuttack). The ring road would see growth of a knowledge industry township, which would provide integrated facilities to working and living.

Knowledge township

"The knowledge township would be developed in two phases.
For first phase, we have identified 1500 acres and about 4,000 acres have been identified for the second phase," Managing Director of Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Orissa Limited (IPICOL) Ashok Meena said.
Besides, a 784-acre integrated township comprising special economic zone on information technology, residential, educational, commercial and business zones has been conceptualised.
Apart from this, the Team Orissa declared that a number of projects, which would be developed on Public Private Partnership mode, had been lined up.
Several corridors dedicated for different sectors have been planned to create opportunities for development.
The State Government is planning a landmark in the capital region by erecting a commercial and recreational complex over 11 acres at a cost of Rs 200 crores.

Residential complex

Moreover, a residential complex over 25 acres area had been contemplated for which the State Government proposed to spend Rs 400 crores.
It said that detail project reports for comprehensive multi-modal transportation plan and sewerage system had already been prepared.
The State Government hoped to put a world-class infrastructure in place in Bhubaneswar by investing Rs 3,300 crores in seven years under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM).

http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/06/stories/2007030614540300.htm