Odisha seeks central assistance for Concor project

The project, with financial outlay of Rs 95.40 cr, is coming up on 28.31 acres of land

The Odisha government has urged the Government of India to release Rs 57.23 crore from the central component of ASIDE (Assistance to States for Infrastructure Development of Exports) scheme for the multi-modal logistics park proposed by Container Corporation of India (Concor) at Jharsuguda.

The release of central assistance (for the Concor project) would help boost exports from the state, P S Mishra, additional secretary, MSME (micro, small & medium enterprises) department wrote to Shobhit Jain, director (states cell), Union commerce & industry ministry.

Concor had submitted a proposal to the State Level Export Promotion Committee (SLEPC) to set up a multi-modal logistics park at Jharsuguda. The project, with financial outlay of Rs 95.40 crore, is coming up on 28.31 acres of land.

The SLEPC chaired by chief secretary, Odisha, approved ASIDE assistance of Rs 57.23 crore for the project.

"As of now, the state has been receiving ASIDE assistance of Rs 15-18 crore annually from the Government of India towards state component of the scheme. The sanctioned amount cannot be released from state pool due to limited funding under ASIDE scheme to Odisha", the letter stated.

The next meeting of the empowered committee on central component of ASIDE scheme is scheduled to be held on March 9.

Concor's facility at Jharsuguda will cater to the traffic needs in export-import and domestic sector both in containerised and break bulk form. The terminal with good rail connection will provide dedicated services as per the requirement of trade and industry along with customs clearance, cargo consolidation facilities and promote export of existing industries as well as new ones expected to come up in and around Jharsuguda.

The logistic parks will include facilities like warehouses, distribution centres, storage areas, offices, truck services, parking lots, truck terminals, container rail terminal, container handling facilities, cold storages, distribution centres, air cargo points, lorries, maintenance points, service stations, hospitals and restaurants.

The project, to be developed on the public private partnership (PPP) mode, would be served by roads, railways, inland water ways and air ways.

Besides Jharsuguda, Concor has proposed to set up multi-modal logistics parks at Jajpur-Keonjhar Road, Paradeep, Muniguda and Angul.