Gujarat to revisit infrastructure agenda to attract investors

Thursday, 25 September 2003, 19:30 IST
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GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat government is reviewing its ambitious infrastructure development agenda to attract large-scale investments from overseas. Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB), the state's nodal agency for infrastructure development, has initiated the review of the Gujarat Infrastructure Agenda - Vision 2010, said official sources. The decision to review the infrastructure agenda, which comes a few days ahead of a global investors meet being organised by the government, is aimed at making it "more investor friendly," said sources. The three-day Vibrant Gujarat business meet, which is likely to draw potential investors from the U.S., Britain and a host of other countries, will be held in Ahmedabad from Sunday. "The exercise is being carried out because many changes, at planning level as well as at policy levels, have taken place since the declaration of the agenda," a GIDB official told IANS. The Gujarat Infrastructure Agenda-Vision 2010 outlines the government's initiative in the field of infrastructure and spans 22 major infrastructure sectors over a 10-year planning horizon. The infrastructure agenda aims to ensure 1.16 trillion worth of investments in 383 projects in sectors like roads, rail, ports, power, industrial parks, urban development and gas grid with full or partial private participation. Some of the projects under the Vision 2010 documents are already under implementation, either through budgetary support or private sector participation. Sources say 15 projects have already been implemented through private sector investments worth 22.49 billion. They include the Pipavav Port, Gujarat Chemical Port Terminal (GCPTCL), Vadodara- Halol Road, Ahmedabad-Mehsana Road, and Gujarat State Wide Area Network (GSWAN). Feasibility studies of 39 projects worth 154.2 billion are in progress. The agenda has developed a prioritised "shelf of projects" for inviting and attracting private participation.
Source: IANS