Phase I of Surat Apparel Park completed

Work on the ambitious Apparel Park, being developed in Sachin, about 20 km from Surat city, is on in full-swing. The new park developed in an area of almost 55 hectare, is expected to give a major boost to the garment industry of Surat.

"The bhumi pujan of the park was performed by the chief minister Narendra Modi on January 31, 2003. But the actual work began on October 10, 2003. We have already completed the first phase of the project. Entire work related to the basic infrastructure, such as roads, water supply, electricity, drainage, footpath, storm drainage line, compound wall, etc. have been completed," U T Khangani, executive engineer, GIDC, told Business Standard.

"The total project cost is Rs 61.23 crore. We will receive subsidy of Rs 35.40 crore from the Central and state governments, while GIDC will invest the remaining Rs 25.80 crore. We have already spent around Rs 13 crore in the first phase of the project," Khangani said.

"We will start work on the second phase soon. A fire station, police station, restaurant, dispensary, health club, common facility building, post office, crŠche, GIDC office etc. will be built in the second phase at a cost of Rs 3.50 crore. We have invited tenders and are confident that the work will start by January 2005 and would be completed within 15 months," he said.

"If necessary, we will also develop a Common Effluent Treatment Plant. This would depend on the type of units that are set up in the Park," he said.

Khangani also said that the apparel park has received good response. "One hundred garment manufacturing units would be set up in the park. More than 50 per cent of the plots have already been booked, while we expect the remaining plots to be booked shortly. We can certainly say that the project has caught the imagination of the people," he said.

"It might take at least three more years before the Surat Apparel Park becomes operational. We want to make it a Model Apparel Park in the entire country. We are putting in a lot of efforts, and are very confident that we would be successful in achieving our target," Khangani added.

Experts feel that the apparel park would give a major thrust to the Surat textile industry. "The cloth manufactured in Surat at present is sent to other centres, which comes back to the city in the form of garments.

"Once the apparel park becomes operational, cloth produced in Surat would be utilised in the apparel park itself. This will be beneficial for the textile industry," an expert said.