Maharashtra to start inviting DMIC investment in Sept

MUMBAI: Maharashtra is on track to start allotting plots for the Aurangabad node of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project by September, says managing director of the Aurangabad Industrial Township AITL Vikram Kumar. The plots will be allotted in Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC), which is in the Shendre Bidkin node of the DMIC.
The node expects to cater to mainly pharmaceutical, engineering and manufacturing companies.The DMIC project aims to create industrial zones spanning across six states, which is expected to spur economic development in the region and develop industries.
“At this point, we have awarded contracts for infrastructure development including roads, sewage and rail over-bridges. We expect the basic infrastructure work to be completed by 2018,” said Kumar.
The MIDC has acquired 10,000 acres of land in the first phase of the project in Shendre Bidkin. The land was acquired for roughly Rs 23 lakh per acre, which is several times the ready reckoner rate. “We spent roughly Rs 2,500 crores on the acquisition,” said Kumar. Work has begun on 2,000 acres of the area.
The government is also in the process of acquiring land for the second node of the project near Dighi Port. “We have acquired around 1,000 hectares of land so far,” said Kumar. The state government is offering Rs 18.46 lakh per acre in this zone.
However, the state has acquired land in Aurangabad, which is about 400 km away from the dedicated freight corridor that will link all the states between Delhi and Mumbai. Aurangabad falls in the water scarce Marathwada region and the requirement of water is a concern in this arid and drought-prone belt.
“We are planning to recycle sewage water for the DMIC zone. Around 160 million litres per day of sewage water will be used in the zone,” said Kumar.