Get 'extra' bucks for a dollar, visit MP site for 'more'

If you are an investor you will be taken aback to know that per capita income in Madhya Pradesh is Rs 11. The dollar rates are still at Rs 45 plus and the state has developed 'Dry Parks' for industries.

Also, amazingly the state records a maximum of 1,800 mm rainfall on average. These facts and figures are displayed on an official website created jointly by the Madhya Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (MPIDC) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for disseminating information for global investors in a mega carnival.

The website destinationmadhyapradesh.com (DMP) has been prepared for a programme 'Global Investors Summit 2007' to be organised in Indore on from 26 October.

Prepared in a careless manner, it not only confuses a surfer but also puts a question mark on the government functioning on industrial issues, which falls under the direct monitoring of Chief Minister's.

The website provides a name and telephone number of a person KK Tiara (chief general manager) who retired two years ago. The website spells a new term 'Dry Parks' in the state.

A para under its "Highlights of MP" says, "The state has developed an excellent infrastructure. It has 19 Industrial Development centers, 129 Industrial Areas, 6 food parks, 8 integrated development centers, one stone park, one SEZ at Indore, 3 dry parks, one IT park, and one apparel park at Indore."

No one knows where these refered "Dry Parks." are located. The state profile on the website has not been updated since it was created. It says "MP has the first operational SEZ (at Pithampur) near Indore in the country, with several units starting their commercial production in December 2004. Already more than 15 units have started the preliminary project related work at the SEZ."

While the fact is that as many as five units have not only started commercial production two years back but have clocked a good business through exports.

A link to SEZ Indore also creates confusion. It contests the data on the DMP website. It says, there are 804 large and medium industries, while a link under general information on webite indicates there are 845 industries.

The department of statistics data contests the information available on website. "The number of factories has gone up from 8,169 in 2004 to 8,228 in 2005," the department data reads.