THE NEW Year resolution of State Commerce and Industry Minister Babulal Gaur is to bring more investments in the State in Y-2007 and he plans to follow the Narendra Modi route to get his goal.
Gaur plans to hardsell the State’s resources and industrial policy at meetings of CII, FICCI and other business chambers throughout the country. He will soon get one such platform at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) meet in New Delhi on January 8, where he will accompany the Chief Minister. “At this meeting we’re going to invite investors to attend our Khajuraho Investors’ Meet on January 16-17,” he told Hindustan Times.
To make his strategies effective and successful, the Minister has sought cooperation from Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to get to know his success mantra. “Worldwide we find successful Gujarati entrepreneurs and the industries in Gujarat itself are running successfully, so I’ve sought his advice on various issues,” Gaur said. Gaur had paid a courtesy call on Modi during his recent visit to the state.
Gaur, who is enthusiastic and sensitive about the Bina Refinery project, since it was during his tenure as chief minister that the long-pending refinery project got a kick-start, has also written to Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav for developing a platform on the west side of Bina railway station. Currently, Bina station’s exit opens on the east side, whereas large-scale development and activities are expected to take place on the west side, with the opening of Bharat Oman Refinery (BORL).
{{/usCountry}}Gaur, who is enthusiastic and sensitive about the Bina Refinery project, since it was during his tenure as chief minister that the long-pending refinery project got a kick-start, has also written to Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav for developing a platform on the west side of Bina railway station. Currently, Bina station’s exit opens on the east side, whereas large-scale development and activities are expected to take place on the west side, with the opening of Bharat Oman Refinery (BORL).
{{/usCountry}}“At present we have to cross three railway tracks to go to the refinery site and it takes a lot of time. If the new platform is developed, the station would open on west, giving access to Bina-Kurwai Road,” said BORL, vice-president (infrastructure) C K Jain.
Talking about his recently completed Gujarat trip and visit to Wadinar (Jamnagar), where work on the crude oil filling centre of Bharat Oman Refinery Limited is underway, Gaur said a 935-km pipeline would be laid between Wadinar and Bina to carry crude.
The Minister said the State would see setting up of Reliance Fresh retail outlets from April. “There’ll be 75 outlets in Madhya Pradesh, with 11 each at Bhopal and Indore,” he said.
Claiming that the State had received investment proposals to the tune of Rs 1,00,513 crore, Gaur said work on projects worth Rs 44,480 crore was underway.
“Due to heavy rains several highways and roads got damaged, and we’re making new roads and repairing the existing ones faster. The State will also have surplus power in 2008,” claimed Gaur to support his claims of providing ‘good infrastructure and quality power supply’ to investors.
dghose@hindustantimes.com