Uttar Pradesh has proposed investment and industrial zones over 27,610 hectares along the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC).
The state proposes to develop two National Investment & Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs) and five Industrial Zones (IZ) along the Corridor's UP section.
The proposed NIMZs include Auraiya National Investment & Manufacturing Zone (6,043 hectares) and Jhansi National Investment & Manufacturing Zone (5,567 hectares).
The proposed IZs are Pashchimanchal Industrial Zone (2,000 hectares), Braj Industrial Zone (2,000 hectares), Kanpur Logistics hub (6,000 hectares), Allahabad-Naini-Bara Investment Zone (3,000 hectares) and Mughalsari-Varansai-Mirjapur Investment Zone (3,000 hectares).
The proposed alignment of 1,840-km EDFC spans Punjab, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. UP is the biggest beneficiary of the EDFC project, with a share of nearly 57 percent, corresponding to 1,049 km.
The Centre had already christened the proposed EDFC as Amritsar-Delhi-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (ADKIC) to indicate the major stations.
EDFC has been proposed on the lines of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) on Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC).
Meanwhile, the Inter-ministerial Group (IMG) constituted by the Centre to examine the feasibility, structural and financial aspects of EDFC met in New Delhi yesterday. The respective states were to present the details of project development.
UP Infrastructure & Industrial Development Commissioner (IIDC) Alok Ranjan presented a concept paper highlighting the potential of junctions, along the corridor, being developed into industrial/investment zones and trans-shipment hub.
He claimed UP was the only state with detailed concept paper. The proposals of UP are likely to be incorporated in the prospective report of the IMG, which would be submitted to the Centre shortly for further action.
UP State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) managing director and UPSIDC had been anointed the nodal officer and nodal agency respectively for the ambitious project.
