The Orissa government has put in place its first ever public?private-partnership (PPP) policy 2007, which is aimed at creating a conducive environment for leveraging state resources by attracting investment from private sector, and utilise its efficiency, innovativeness and flexibility to provide quality infrastructure and services at an optimal cost.
The policy will be applied to 18 infrastructure projects in sectors like port, road, railways, special economic zone, IT parks, power projects and urban services.
The state government has, meanwhile, lined up 32 projects worth to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore to be implemented under the PPP model.
State chief secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy said the PPP policy proposes to set up a high-level authority headed by the chief minister for clearance of concession agreements and sanction of the PPP projects with an investment of over Rs 500 crore.
Besides, an empowered committee on infrastructure would be set up under the chairmanship of the chief secretary to prioritise and recommend projects worth up to Rs 500 crore for financial assistance from the Centre.
According to Tripathy, the PPP cell and the technical secretariat, to be constituted according to the policy, will act as a nodal agency for coordinating efforts of different departments. The cell will act as the secretariat headed by an officer of the rank of a commissioner.
Tripathy said the policy would protect rights of all stakehoders, including the interest of local communities, by providing adequate legislative and administrative support, suitably structuring the concession agreements and setting up a robust dispute redressal mechanism.
The PPP policy was approved by the Cabinet at a meeting presided by chief minister Naveen Patnaik here on Wednesday.