SHIMLA: In a decision that could attract more industries to Himachal Pradesh, the Central government has selected the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial node in Solan district under its Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) project.
The BBN node is one of the 32 such areas identified for development in 11 industrial corridors under the Bharatmala Project.
The project is expected to go a long way in providing better logistics for the industry and give impetus to the industrial growth in the state. It would also create employment opportunities and spur economic growth, leading to overall socio-economic development, said Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
The chief minister appreciated the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited (NICDC) for fast-paced activities in the development of the BBN node.
The project will be implemented in close cooperation with the Himachal Pradesh government which will provide land as their share of equity in the project and the rest of the cost for the development of the node will be borne by the Union government. A joint special purpose vehicle will be formed for the development of the node.
The maximum total project cost would be Rs 3,000 crore, the chief minister said.
Jai Ram said he had been pursuing the project with Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and had apprised him of the direct dividends not only to the manufacturing sector but also to agriculturists.
He said the professional agency engaged by NICDC would start work from April 26 and prepare a DPR by June and execution of trunk infrastructure would begin after the monsoon.