GUWAHATI, Oct 4 - Minister for Commerce & Industry and Transport Chandra Mohan Patowary today gave details of the investments received by the State post the �Advantage Assam� Global Investors� Summit held last year and added that many new industrial projects are also coming up at various places.
Addressing a press conference, Patowary said that an India-Bangladesh summit on trade and commerce will be held in the city on October 22-23. Similar India-Japan and India-South Korea summits are also planned to be held here.
�The Industries and Commerce Department had organised the Global Investors� Summit � Advantage Assam � in Guwahati on February 3-4, 2018. During the summit, a total of 263 MoUs were received, of which 207 MoUs were worth Rs 79,000 crore approximately. Post Advantage Assam, so far as the Industries and Commerce Department is concerned, investment received through MoUs is Rs 8,871.94 crore, and from outside MoUs is Rs 44,592.25 crore, amounting to a total of Rs 53,464.19 crore. Out of the Rs 53,464.19 crore, investment in the oil and petroleum sector is Rs 42,782.28 crore,� he said.
Patowary added that post Advantage Assam, the investments received by other departments (excluding Industries and Commerce Department) is Rs 3,312.25 crore. It includes Rs 4.4 crore for SEED (Supporting Entrepreneurs for Environment and Development), Rs 206 crore for handloom and textiles, Rs 500 crore for power, Rs 375 crore for Urban Development Department, Rs 66.85 crore for IT and Rs 2,160 crore for health and family welfare.
�Thus, the total investment received by the State is Rs 56,776.44 crore,� said the Minister.
Patowary added, �Post Advantage Assam, investments that have gone into commercial production is Rs 592.04 crore.� Another Rs 3,887.20 crore worth of investments are in the pipeline.
He said that a Rs 900-crore steel rod factory is coming up at Tihu, while Pepsi will invest Rs 200 crore on a new project at Rampur in South Kamrup.
�The pharmaceutical industry is scattered across the State. So we have taken a decision to set up a Pharmaceutical Park at Sipajhar. It will be spread across a 100-bigha plot of land. The land has been acquired for the purpose and work on it will start soon. We are also planning to set up a modern Textile Park at Sipajhar and we have talked with the Union Textile Ministry in this regard.�
�Besides, we are also going to set up an MSME Park at Jagiroad,� said Patowary.
An Integrated Multi-model Logistics Hub will also be set up at Jogighopa at a cost of over Rs 600 crore. It will have warehouses, cargo facility, rail line and waterway connection.
The ITC has agreed to set up an agarbatti project under the buy-back policy to promote small industries in the State, while the Cycle Brand Agarbatti is also likely to source 300 tonne of incense from Assam annually. The Sikaria Group has acquired land at Chaygaon to establish a jute mill.
Patowary said that these projects will generate huge employment opportunities. He said that the industry department has been able to give direct employment to around 79,000 people since the BJP-led State government came to power in Dispur.
He added that work on land filling has been completed at the site at Chaygaon where a Tea Park will come up. He said that the government has approached the Dubai Tea Park authorities to be a partner in the project.
