SEZ in Bhopal on the cards

The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to set up a hardware and software park and a special economic zone (SEZ) here. The foundation of the park is likely to be laid by President APJ Abdul Kalam on February 24.

The state government was planning to develop Bhopal as infotech hub for the region, said Chief Minister Uma Bharti. The park project had been cleared by the central government, she added.

The state government had sought the Centre's nod for three more SEZs, to be set up in Gwalior, Jabalpur and Rewa, she said. These SEZs' will be aimed at promoting use of locally available raw material.

But the central government was yet to give its nod for the Bhopal SEZ, a senior official told Business Standard.

"We are expecting the clearance soon," said Raghav Chandra, managing director of the MP State Industrial Development Corporation, the nodal agency for special economic zones. Around 15 companies had shown interest to set up units at the Indore SEZ, Chandra added.

On the proposed SEZ in Bhopal, he said the zone would be set up on the unused land to be returned by Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd," he said.

Roads: The state government plans to construct as many as 741 roads (3,515 km) at a cost of Rs 724 crore in the fourth phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to link 1,162 villages with all weather pucca roads.

According to Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, 87 packages for 471 roads at a cost of Rs 470 crore have been sanctioned under the fourth phase.

He said 373 of the 460 roads having a length of 1,670 km, sanctioned in the first phase, had been completed benefiting 595 villages.

Similarly, in the second phase, 584 of the 723 sanctioned roads had been completed benefiting 949 villages while in the third phase, 563 roads had been sanctioned of which work of three had been completed. In the second phase, 2,955 km road was constructed.