Chhattisgarh "completely safe" for investments: Governor

Allaying industrialists' fears of naxalism, Chhattisgarh Governor Balramji Dass Tandon today said the state is absolutely safe for making investments.
"Those (Naxal-affected) areas are far too distant from the industrial and educational hubs. The tribal areas are at least 400 kms from Raipur... Naya Raipur is just as safe as Chandigarh or Punjab.
"The industry is absolutely safe there and even gets their (naxalists) indirect support, because they know that it provides employment to their people," Tandon said here today.
"They (Naxals) know that the (industry) was giving jobs to local people there. They do not create any nuisance in it. They just fight with the police... So there is no need to worry," Tandon said here while speaking at a session organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on business opportunities in Chhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh's Industries Director Kartikeya Goel said the state government is creating an awareness programme in other states, stressing that the entire state is not affected by naxalism.
Inviting industry from Chandigarh and Punjab to set up units in non-core sectors at Chhattisgarh, Tandon said, "If there is any place to invest in India today, it is Chhattisgarh.

"There are three pre requisites for smooth setting up and profitable functioning of any business - uninterrupted power supply at competitive rates, easy availability of land and water. In Chhattisgarh, we have all these in ample, to the extent that we are supplying power to states like Maharashtra and Gujarat.

"Land is very competitively priced and the power tariffs too are 35 per cent lesser that the national average in Chhattisgarh".
Other reasons why Chhattisgarh is the best choice for business expansion is that it has huge untapped potential to serve the large steel manufacturing companies and agri production, he added.