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Journalism of Courage
AUG 25: A memorandum of understanding to this effect was signed here today between state Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Baba Kalyani, co-chairman of National task force. The task force to be constituted would have Deshmukh as its chairman and Kalyani as the co-chairman.
Under the MoU, both the parties would work on specific sectors with a long-term perspective towards growth and investments in these sectors, Kalyani said adding, programmes would be organised to project Maharashtra as an attractive investment destination in India and abroad.
Deshmukh said such a move would help empower the common man through development of industry, finance and social sectors. Special focus would be given to infrastructural improvements such that of the Mumbai airport and Pune region, Kalyani said.
CII would also work with the state government to develop Mumbai as an offshore financial centre and towards improving social infrastructure including health and education, he added. The MoU would be valid for two years. Apart from Maharashtra, West Bengal, Delhi, Karnataka and Andra Pradesh have already signed such MoU8217;s with CII, Kalyani said.
Six More Earth Stations Planned: Maharashtra is to set up six more earth stations at the information technology parks as part of its IT development initiative.
8220;The state IT policy provides a comprehensive package for the IT industry which includes low tax rates, removal of locational restrictions, waiving of electricity duty and stamp duty in public IT parks,8221; Deshmukh said at a conference on 8216;Building the E-enterprise8217; organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here today.
A knowledge corridor8217; has emerged between Mumbai and Navi-Mumbai and Pune with high connectivity, he said adding, similar facilities were being set up at Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nasik, Sangli, Kolhapur, Latur and other places.
Deshmukh, quoting the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, said more than Rs 85,000 crore of investment was actually under implementation in the state, 46 per cent higher than the next state, Gujarat.
On investment coming from abroad, he said, an US Embassy survey showed that 118 major American companies were likely to invest an additional 4.6 billion in India up to the year 2003 and as much as 57 per cent was likely to come to Maharashtra.
Referring to cyber laws, the Chief Minister said 8220;I hope the Centre will implement the law to encourage rather than control the rapid changes that are taking place, particularly in Maharashtra.8221;
There was a healthy competition among states to attract investments, but Maharashtra has reached the stage when it was not enough to look only at the rest of the country, Deshmukh said. Most of the state8217;s fund have been devoted to infrastructure for industry, services and social sectors, he added.
The state has the largest number of software export companies and contributes a large share to the country8217;s software exports, the Chief Minister claimed adding, scientific and technical institutions in Maharashtra provide 1,60,000 trained manpower every year.
