Orissa Extends Bid Deadline For Gopalpur Port Extended

The international bidding for the south Gopalpur port in Orissa will now be completed in early July, state Chief Minister J B Patnaik said on Wednesday. The bidding was scheduled to close by the end of this month.

Patnaik, who was addressing a press conference here, ruled out the possibility of any serious impact of the economic sanctions imposed on the country in the wake of the nuclear explosions. "Already some of the top multinationals have started lobbying in favour of India," he said.

"Efforts are on to transform Orissa into a frontline maritime state. The state has also signed an agreement with International Sea Ports of Singapore for developing another modern private sector port at Dhamara at a cost of Rs 1500 crore," Patnaik said. Besides opening new markets, the modern ports will be a boon for exporters and reduce congestion at Paradip port, he said.

This is a part of the state's attempt to shore-up its infrastructure development, which includes completion of railway links between Cuttack and Sambalpur and Koraput and Bhubaneswar. "The Banspani-Daitari rail link will be completed by 2001," he said.

"This would facilitate sourcing of iron ore and other minerals to the ports," Patnaik said.

Highlighting the fact that Orissa has emerged as the most favourite investment destination with total investment proposals worth Rs 130,000 crore, Patnaik said the state has identified software, infrastructure development, mining and exports as the focus areas.

"We are looking at software as a thrust area and are working to transform Bhubaneswar into a software city," he said. Plans are to set up a training centre in collaboration with IBM and an Indian Institute of Information Technology at Bhubaneswar that will also function as a centre of excellence, the Chief Minister said.

The state government, in collaboration with the Infrastructure Development Corporation, is also developing an export promotion industrial park on a 205 acre plot in the Chandaka Industrial Estate in the heart of the capital.