The Odisha government is expected to select a consultancy firm by this year end for its National Manufacturing and Investment Zone (NMIZ). The government will have pre-bid meetings with the consultancy firms on October 13. The state government?s industrial infrastructure development concern, Idco, has floated global tenders inviting bids from consultancy firms to prepare the master plan and detailed project report of the proposed NMIZ.
?We would be able to pick up a consultancy firm by December, 2014,? state industries minister Debi Prasad Mishra told FE.
Odisha has, meanwhile, received an in-principle approval from the Centre for the proposed NMIZ at Kalinganagar in Odisha?s Jajpur district. The state had sought the central approval for the project in July. It also took up the matter with Union commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her visit to the state in August.
Prasad said that Odisha selected Kalinganagar for NMIZ because it was emerging as a steel hub with investment from both public and private sectors. Moreover, he added, as the NMIZ guidelines say that at least a patch of contiguous 5,000 hectares is required to set up NMIZ, Idco has 5,811 hectares in Kalinganagar.
With a view that NMIZs is likely to raise the share of the manufacturing sector to 25% of GDP and create employment opportunities, the Centre is chipping in by providing financial aid to develop NMIZs with facilities such as production units, public utilities, logistics, environmental protection mechanism, residential areas and administrative services.