Aurangabad, Oct 8: The State Government is making all-out efforts to bring an anchor unit in the Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC) of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). We are in talks with two-three major international companies. Something will be finalised soon, said industry minister and Aurangabad guardian minister Subhash Desai.
The minister visited Lokmat Bhavan today. Lokmat Media Editor-in-Chief Rajendra Darda welcomed him. Speaking to the senior editorial staff of Lokmat, Desai discussed a variety of issues related to industry, trade and tourism of Marathwada, and city drinking water problem.
Excerpts from interaction:
Auric is on the cusp of development
We are aware that an anchor unit leads to growth of ancillary industries. Aurangabad has emerged as an auto component manufacturing hub. Investing companies take their own call based on their different considerations but we are striving hard for a major unit in Auric.
With dry port in Jalna district and connection to Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway from DMIC, Aurangabad is no longer away from the port. The city boasts of people with good entrepreneurial spirit and I am confident that Auric is on the cusp of major development. For the first time, a Russian private industry NLMK Steel has been allotted land in Shendra DMIC. It produces special type of steel needed in electric vehicles and transformers. There is a potential of developing a cluster of transformer producing units around the Russian facility.
Defence cluster
We have referred Bidkin leg of the DMIC to the central government for developing defense cluster. In fact, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) will take initiative to develop common facilities like testing laboratory and ranges needed for defence industry.
Maharashtra leading state
Maharashtra has always known as a leading industrial state and we are striving to retain this status notwithstanding the competition from other states to attract industries.
Boost to city water supply by December
It is true that Jaikwadi dam is filled to capacity but citizens are getting water after a gap. The work is in progress for constructing 52 elevated storage reservoirs (ESR) and laying distribution network through Rs 1680 crore water supply scheme that will be completed in nearly two and half years from now. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is also personally monitoring the scheme.
However, as an interim measure, by December, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran will change parts of the pipeline which cannot withstand pressure. This will lead to increase in the quantity of water intake to the city.
Priority to Paithan road
It is true that Paithan road, which also connects city to Bidkin DMIC, is in bad condition. union minister Nitin Gadkari has said that this road would be built on priority. Even MIDC can do this roadwork.
Plea to CM for road map of tourism development
Aurangabad has rich tourism potential and demands special attention and for that matter policies for tourism development. Tourism minister Aditya Thackeray is himself passionate about this and is actively pursuing to clear the pending tourism-related issues. We are planning to make a master plan for tourism development considering three tourism circuits of city, Ajanta and Ellora.
We will request CM Uddhav Thackeray to declare Aurangabad as tourism hub and prepare road map for tourism development.