A leading business conglomerate Shapoorji Pallonji group today showed interest in developing and maintaining civic infrastruture, setting up group housing projects and a solar park in Punjab.
A delegation led by Shapoorji P Mistry, which met Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal here today, also expressed interest in the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) planned for Amritsar city, an official released today said.
Briefing delegation about opportunities available for investment in Punjab, Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal said the State government was planning to outsource development and maintenance of sewerage, water supply and road network in a city or town to one company.
Under this plan, the company would not only create the infrastructure but also maintain it for a 10-year period.
The Deputy CM said the outsourcing job of maintaining all civic infrastructure should be allotted to private companies in corporation cities (Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Jalandhar) and all 140 towns in the state.
Badal also briefed the delegation that the group could participate in bidding process for group housing projects to be undertaken by state owned Punjab Urban Development Authority.
He said PUDA was in the process of inviting bids for construction of 900 flats at Ludhiana and 700 flats in Bathinda.
During the meeting, Mistry requested Badal that the projects could be offered to investors by following the 'Swiss Challenge' mode, saying his company wanted to take them up from the design level.
Release quoting Mistry said he also agreed to construct group housing project for economically backward sections after Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal said the state government has decided to construct one lakh affordable houses in the state.
The Deputy CM also mooted a proposal for establishing 10,000-MW mega solar park, saying that the government was ready for a involving a partner in this project.
"We pay Rs 6,000 crore subsidy to Powercom as part of free power given to farmers for tube well operations. We can evolve a mechanism whereby you (company) can supply power to farmers and be paid for the same," he said.
"This could be a win win situation for both state and the company as after a few years, the state power subsidy bill will reduce once the investment cost has been realised," Badal said.
Mistry said his company will be keen to establish a solar park as the group has more than 25 years of experience in this regard.
Calling the Shapoorji group to invest in setting up world class exhibition and conventional centers to be built in Mohali, Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar, Badal said that the first exhibition centre would be set up at Mohali, near International Airport on 50 acres of land with the estimated cost of Rs 235 crore.
