GIDB pens core sector plan

The Gujarat Industrial Development Board (GIDB), the implementing authority for the state government's Vision 2010 project, has chalked out a long-term action plan for development of the state.

Under the plan, an integrated network for providing infrastructure facilities, which will include services like distribution of gas, water, electricity and telephone will be developed in a synergical manner.

Chief minister Narendra Modi presided over a meeting of the development board held recently, in which the decision was taken. Apart from this, it was decided that the development board will work towards adopting an approach to develop minimal level of infrastructure facilities to be provided by municipal bodies and municipal corporations.

In Gujarat, the 200-km gas distribution pipeline between Vadodara and Ahmedabad is almost complete and work on the 435-km gas distribution network is in progress.

The Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) has taken up the task of laying a gas distribution pipeline in Gandhinagar along with Mehsana and Sabarkantha in north Gujarat and in south Gujarat from Surat to Vapi.

A development board statement said once these projects are completed and the gas grid extended to Saurashtra and Kutch as well, integration of this distribution network will enable the state to improve infrastructural facilities like water and electricity supply.

With the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Project gaining the potential of becoming a tourist destination, the board gave its consent to develop Kevadia dam site as a tourist destination.

It has been decided to develop a Tent City, a water park resort and other tourism projects at the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Project dam site.

In another significant decision, the development board has decided that the state government will develop helipads near new highways that are coming up across the state.

With the spurt in port development activity in Gujarat, the state government has invited expressions of interest from private companies for the development of Maroli, Simar, Vansi-Borsi, Mithivirdi and Bedi ports on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.

The concession agreement on the Petronet LNG port terminal at Dahej, worth Rs 500 crore has been approved by the board.

The Rs 27.40 crore project to modernise the 44 km stretch of the state highway (SH-7) in north Gujarat connecting Deesa near Palanpur up to the border with Rajasthan (Deesa-Panthawada-Gundari Road), was also approved.

The state is studying the detailed project report for the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar Metro Rail System and for Surat a public transit system study is to be taken up.

The short-term traffic and transport plans for Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar are on the verge of completion and the projects will in turn come up with private sector participation to ease traffic.

The board also discussed a study on Kutch's development potential, identifying several sectors, including the port sector, which could be developed in a big way.

Kutch could be developed into a major trade hub with necessary port infrastructure along with other facilities, it was decided at the meeting.