Industry body to pursue DMIC issue with state govt

NASHIK: Ambad Industries & Manufacturers Association (AIMA) has decided to pursue the issue of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) with the state government at war footing in a bid to include Nashik at least in the second phase of DMIC.
The industrial bodies in Nashik are feeling injustice to Nashik on DMIC issue. Nashik had not been included in the first phase of the DMIC due false reports by the Water Resource Department (WRD) of the state government about non-availability of water even though the Nashik had large number of dams.
On the contrary, the state government included Aurangabad in the first phase of DMIC despite the fact that the city gets water from Nashik.This has invited the wrath of Nashik's industries, which want government to include Nashik at least in the second phase, which may begin in 2017-18.
Speaking to TOI, Rajendra Ahire, who just took over as AIMA president, said, "Inclusion of Nashik in the second phase of DMIC is on the top of my agenda. Nashik has lagged behind by four-five years in terms of industrial growth due to exclusion of the city from the first phase of the DMIC only because of the false reports about the availability of water by the officials of WRD. We will pursue this issue with the government at war footing and will also seek the government to conduct probe of the government officials who gave wrong reports about water availability in Nashik."
Ahire added, "We will meet the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnvis, industry minister Subhash Desai and WRD minister Girish Mahajan. We want to correct the false reports given by the WRD."
The seven regions, which have been includes in the first phase of DMIC, are Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad Investment Region in Uttar Pradesh, Manesar-Bawal Investment Region in Haryana, Khushkhera-Bhiwadi-Neemrana Investment Region in Rajasthan, Pithampur-Dhar-Mhow Investment Region in Madhya Pradesh, Ahmedabad-Dholera Investment Region in Gujarat and Shendra-Bidkin Industrial Park city and Dighi Port Industrial Area, both in Maharashtra.
The DMIC in Maharashtra covers Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, Pune, Dhule & Nandurbar districts and influences 18% of the total area of the state.