36 MoUs worth Rs 29,549 crore signed

Bhopal, Apr 11: As many as 36 MoUs worth Rs 29,549 crore were inked during the one-day Bundelkhand Investors Meet held at Sagar on Friday. Twenty-two MoUs worth Rs 15,292 crore were signed at the concluding session.

The concluding session came to an end with Sectoral Projection. Besides, investors from Netherlands and other European countries, 110 investors from all over India and 500 from Madhya Pradesh including Bundelkhand participated in the meet where agreements relating to cement, power, mineral processing, iron, steel, sugar and Jatropha plantation were signed. Earlier, while addressing the inaugural session, the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that Bundelkhand is rich in vast possibilities but it is ironical that most of the people living on this rich soil are poor. He said that his government wants to change this face of Bundelkhand and its mission is to ensure social, economic, industrial and infrastructural development of entire state as well as Bundelkhand.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister also announced to sanction Rs 10 crore for constructing a dam across Bebas rivulet with a view to solving water crisis being faced by Sidguwan Industrial Development Area in Sagar district. Some industrialists had urged the Chief Minister in this connection. Earlier, the Chief Minister and the guests inaugurated the investors meet by lighting the traditional lamp. The inauguration was made amidst melodious Bundelkhandi song to the tunes of folk instrument Ramtula.

Chouhan said that earlier the state lacked conducive atmosphere for industrial development. Our government has developed a new work culture. With this, Madhya Pradesh has become a model state in the context of industrial development. He said that we do not sit idle while remaining satisfied with inking of MoUs alone. MoUs are not mere pieces of paper for us. Those MoUs would be cancelled implementation on which is not started within six months. He informed that implementation on 70 percent of the total 181 MoUs has started. Chouhan said that it has become impossible to remain dependent merely on present methods of agriculture.  He said that this investors' meet is part of the strategy to counter and tide over the drought which has hit Bundelkhand region for the last two consecutive years.

He said that to keep pace with the mainstream, industrialisation would have to be accelerated. He said that youths of Bundelkhand are brimming with potential. It is industrialisation through which vast employment opportunities can be made available to the young generation of the region. The Chief Minister said industrial houses should also set up training centres side by side their units so that trained human resources become available at the local level. Welcoming industrialists, the Chief Minister exhorted them to develop this region with open heart. Every impediment in their path would be removed and even rules can be made lenient. He dwelt in detail about Bundelkhand region's natural resources, feasibilities of investment and tourist heritages.

Minister for Industry Jayant Malaiya said that Bundelkhand has vast possibilities of investment. This region is rich in unlimited mineral resources. Investors meet would pave the way for development of this region which would usher in equal, all round and balanced development in this as well as other regions of the state. The function was also addressed by former Governor of Mizoram AR Kohli, managing director of ACC Cement Limited, Sumit Bannerjee and chairman of Dainik Bhaskar group Ramesh Chandra Agrawal. About 500 representatives from the state took part in the meeting, which saw participation by top-notch companies including Rio Tinto, Reliance Industries, ACC Cement, Manglam Cement and other major companies. Investment proposals worth more than Rs 2,100 crore pertained to the Bundelkhand region. Calcutta-based companies appeared more interested in this region. Rashmi Cement Limited would invest about Rs 1,000 crore in steel and power sectors.