Chhattisgarh rolls out red carpet for investors

Mumbai, Jan 23 Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishu Deo Sai said on Thursday that the state government is fully geared up to attract investments in textile, technical textile, tourism, information technology, semiconductors, data centres, infrastructure, health, education, manufacturing and services apart from the encouraging expansion in steel, mining and power generation.

The Chief Minister said that the state government has recently released its new industrial policy proposing a slew of incentives to the investors, adding that it has also given an industry status to the tourism sector in a bid to exploit its full potential in the state.

“The government aims to generate five lakh jobs in five years,” the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister, who was in the city to address the investors conference, told reporters that the government has held sector-specific and focused investors meetings in Raipur, Delhi and Mumbai and will be holding similar summits in Bangalore, in foreign countries and will also invite investors.

“During the Raipur meet, the government has received investment intentions worth Rs 43,000 crore, in Delhi Rs 17,000 crore and in Mumbai over Rs 6,000 crore. This is just the beginning as the government has launched a dialogue with the investors asking them to visit Chhattisgarh and make further decisions on investments,” he said.

The Chief Minister added that the government hopes to organise an investors conference in October-November this year, adding that Chhattisgarh is centrally located with good connectivity and lack of industrial and labour disputes.

He further added that the ‘double-engine sarkar’ - the BJP-led government at the Centre and in the state - is working jointly to end Maoism by March 2026.

The Chief Minister said the state government’s drive against Maoism is paying off as nearly 240 Maoists have been killed in one year.

“One central committee member of Maoist - on whom a reward of Rs 1 crore was declared - was killed along with 15 other members on the Chhattisgar-Odisha border,” the Chief Minister added.

He added that Maoism is restricted to five smaller districts in the Bastar region, especially in the dense forest area.

He also claimed that the government’s fight against Maoism has been hailed across the country.

“Of Chhattisgarh’s total area of 1,35,000 sq km, Maoism is restricted to a paltry 5 per cent. It is about 300 to 400 km away from Raipur airport. In the wake of the strong action by the Centre and the state government, the existing units are not only doing well but they are carrying out expansion. Besides, a lot of investors are coming to the state. Recently, Adani Group announced an investment of Rs 75,000 crore while in the steel sector, the state expects an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore in the next five to six years,” he said.

The Chief Minister added that tourism is another sector where the investment will come a big way.

“The government on its own is developing a textile park in Janjgir district and it has already earmarked 350 acres of land for the same,” he added.

He further pointed out that the government provides Rs 15,000 to industrial units from the textile sector for skilling so that they can provide jobs to the aspirants with the necessary skill sets from the state.

The Chief Minister said that the government is quite optimistic about changing the perception of investors when it comes to Maoism mainly due to its present drive to end it.

“When Chhattisgarh was formed there were only 3,000 industrial units but now there are 28,000 industrial units and they are going to increase in the days to come because of its comprehensive policy against Maoism and investor-friendly initiatives,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also met a couple of industrial giants including Aditya Birla Group, Godrej Group, Essar, Welspun, Pidilite, Drools and Nantex Machinery.

He also held interactive meetings with the US Consul General Mike Hankey and the Consul General of Russia Ivan Fetisov.