CHENNAI : The southern region unit of the Confederation of Indian Industry has welcomed the recent statement of the Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram urging the State Governments to focus on developing infrastructure through public private partnerships (PPPs).

Hailing the Union Minister's call to the States to set targets of Rs. 2,000 crore annually for investments in infrastructure projects through PPPs, the CII-SR chairman M. Lakshminarayan in a statement on Monday said such large-scale private investment would speed up economic development of the region.

The CII had identified 10 PPP projects in infrastructure in the region and had also conducted feasibility studies for them. He also complimented the Minister for mooting the idea of setting up exclusive PPP Cell in the planning/finance departments with a nodal officer in State Governments to coordinate with the Centre and other agencies on infrastructure projects.

Some of the projects include converting the Siruseri information technology park, near Chennai, into a Special Economic Zone, six-laning of Avinashi Road for a 16-km stretch, converting the Madurai Airport into an international airport, industrial development of Kadapa, Ananthapur and Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, development of the Pondicherry port and setting up SEZs across major manufacturing clusters in the Union Territory.

In Kerala, the CII had initiated solid waste treatment projects at Kochi and Alleppey. It was also involved in the setting up of a treatment, storage and disposal facility for industrial waste at Kochi in partnership with the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail