Potholed roads keep off investors at Pithampur SEZ

The special economic zone (SEZ) at Pithampur is in a state of decline with 90 percent of the roads turning into potholes. Despite the pathetic condition of the roads, no steps have been taken to repair them.

Two big companies were keen to set up their business in the SEZ but they beat a hasty retreat seeing the rough roads. One of the companies wanted to invest in excess of Rs 400 crore. But that was not to be.

In the entire area of Pithampur SEZ, the Madhya Pradesh Audyogik Vikas Nigam (AKVN) laid 85-km of roads. At the very entrance of the SEZ (Phase I), deep pits welcome the visitors. It is a far cry from SEZs elsewhere with overgrowth of bushes and fading road signs. The less said about the roads in sectors 1 and 3 is better.

In the Kheda Industrial area, where big companies like Pratibha Syntex and Bridgestone, which have already invested billions of rupees, are in equally horrible condition. They are unfit for driving any vehicle let alone limousines of businessmen and executives.

Speaking to mediapersons, AKVN managing director Ashish Shrivastava attributed the bad condition of the roads to torrential rains and heavy vehicular traffic. "We have sent proposals to the state government for repairs. AKVN will soon start a patch work."

D L Jaiswal, executive engineer of AKVN, said, "an 800-metre cement concrete road is proposed to be constructed in the SEZ (Phase I) at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore. Tenders were called twice, but the agency did not find any one of them satisfactory. Now action is being taken to call for tenders for the third time."