Industrial corridor projects: states sluggish, says Piyush Goyal
Arguing that many of the states have not yet transferred the “full land” for projects under the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Programme, the Centre on Friday told Rajya Sabha that it is not getting the kind of cooperation required from states in encouraging the initiative.
Replying to a question on “delays and cost over runs” in implementation of the projects in 11 corridors of National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Programme, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said, “I say with a lot of sadness that the kind of cooperation which could have been received and should have been received from the states in encouraging these projects in industrial corridors has been, unfortunately, very slow.”
He said the project was first approved in 2008. “But, after that, for several years, neither did the central government provide adequate funds nor did the whole project come into shape though it was approved by the Cabinet in 2011. And, a corpus of Rs 17,500 crores was committed with a maximum of about Rs 3,000 crores per node. Unfortunately, for several years after that also, until 2014, no significant action happened,” he said. “Many states have not yet transferred the full land because of which many projects are getting delayed,” he added.
Congress leader Anand Sharma countered Goyal saying “when major national initiatives are taken, it is not ‘your time’ or ‘our time’.”
On the controversy over paddy procurement, Goyal – who is also the Food Minister – said the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is “misleading” farmers of Telangana.
