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Economy
About
46% of the total area in the State is covered with thick forests.
The rest is largely rocky leaving little scope for agricultural
land. The State is, however, rich in mineral resources.
Copper, Coal, Iron, Lime Stone, Manganese are abundant.
In Raipur district, a huge reserve of diamonds has been
discovered which can yield a revenue of nearly rupees two thousand
crores annually. Tendu
leaves, Chironji, harar, baheda, mahu flower and Sal seed are some of
the forest produce yielding an annual income of nearly Rs.217 crores.
The prominent industrial units are at Bhilai (steel plant) and
Korba (BALCO Plant).
INDUSTRIAL
PARK
Chhattisgarh
has one of the foremost Industrial Parks in the country, in Bhilai,
which has numerous ancillary industries around India’s most profitable
Steel Plant in the public sector. A similar concentration of industries
is in Korba, with NTPC and CSEB’s power plants, and BALCO’s
aluminium plant. Besides these two clusters, there are a number of
high-quality industrial parks in the State. In Borai Industrial Park in
Durg, there is a special privately constructed water supply project, and
the Park is ideal for water- intensive industries from all over the
country. Chhattisgarh’s surplus and quality power means that there are
no power-cuts, and continuous process industries from all over the
country are relocating to the State. The highly productive labor force,
and peaceful law and order are catalyzing this process. The State
Investment Promotion Board is bound by law to issue time bound
approvals, with the Act in place.
Thrust
sectors in Chhattisgarh’s new Industrial Policy 2001-2006 include
large, core sector industries, which would typically develop their own
satellite townships. They would be encouraged and assisted to do so,
with suitable incentives. For medium and small-scale industries locating
within Industrial Parks, all existing industrial estates are
continuously being strengthened and upgraded. The State welcomes private
sector investment in new Industrial Parks, for which land is going to be
provided by Government. The State will contribute 20% towards the cost
of development of industrial parks in PPP, with a cap of Rs 2 crores.
Operation, maintenance and marketing of existing Industrial Estates
would be handed over to professional management agencies. A portion of
Government’s revenues from the industrial estate will be allocated to
such agencies for this purpose. To promote cluster based industrial
development, assistance is being provided for establishing common
facilities covering quality improvement, technology up gradation, market
promotion and technical skills, with assistance of upto Rs 2 crores per
cluster. Private industrial estates will also be allowed to install
Captive Power Plants to generate and distribute power directly within
the Industrial Estate.
The
Industrial Growth Centre in Urla, in Raipur city, is spread over 815 ha.
It has 45 km of asphalted roads, and a water supply system of 1 MGD.
There are separate and dedicated power sub-stations. It has around 60
medium and large-scale industries, and 550 small-scale industries.
Investments in Urla are over Rs 400 crore, and it provides employment to
over 16000 people. It has all civic amenities, and a Dry Port (Container
Freight Station) is established for customs formalities for exports and
imports.
Siltara’s
Growth Centre is 13 km from Raipur on NH 200. It has an area of 1260 ha
out of which 400 ha is available for allotment. Its water supply scheme
is being upgraded from 1 MGD to 3 MGD, through an anicut on Kharun
river, already constructed as a joint venture with private
participation. There are three medium and large-scale enterprises and
nine small-scale industries. A power-generating unit in the private
sector has also established its operations here. About Rs 700 crores
have been invested in this centre, employing 1500 people. Future
projects include two sponge iron units and one Ferro alloy unit, and an
LPG bottling plant. The infrastructure here includes 23 kms of internal
roads and two petrol pumps, besides all other amenities.
Borai
Industrial Area in Durg district is the best example of a privatized
industrial water supply scheme in India. Borai is located next to the
Durg by-pass, constructed on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis, and
the by-pass is now converted into NH 6. A railway station is just 500
metres away. The Growth Centre sprawls over 437 ha, and 80 ha is
available for allotment at present. 13 km of internal roads have been
constructed, and the best part is the assured water supply. A 4 MLD
scheme is already in place, which is going to be augmented to 30 MLD. It
has two medium and large -scale, and twenty-seven small-scale
enterprises. More than Rs 115 crores has been invested here, with
employment to around 1300 people.
Bilaspur
district has an Industrial Growth Centre in Sirgitti, which is spread
over 430 ha. Land available for allotment is 30 ha within the Centre and
285 ha outside the Industrial Park. It has 7 medium and large-scale
industries and around 195 small-scale units. An investment of Rs 93
crores provides employment to 4500 people. Bilaspur, being a Railway
zone and headquarters of South Eastern Coalfields Ltd, has many
ancillary units in the area. There is a well-developed water supply
scheme.
Mining
Chhattisgarh
is the richest State in terms of mineral wealth, with 28 varieties of
major minerals, including diamonds. Chhattisgarh,
along with two other Indian States has almost all the coal deposits in
India, which has led to its 'power hub' strategy. All the tin ore in
India is in Chhattisgarh. A fifth of iron ore in the country is here,
and one of the best quality iron ore deposits in the world is found in
the Bailadila mines in south Chhattisgarh, from where it is exported to
Japan. Rich deposits of Bauxite, Limestone, Dolomite and Corundum are
found in the State. The
State is lucky to have large deposits of coal, iron ore and limestone in
close proximity, making it the ideal location for the lowest cost of
production.
There
is great scope for private participation in the mining sector in
Chhattisgarh. The State’s Mineral Policy, 2001 has created a conducive
business environment to attract private investment in the State, both
domestic and international. Procedures have been simplified and there is
complete transparency in decision-making. The added advantage is
availability of large technically qualified human resources, having
trained in tailor-made programmes in geology, geophysics, geochemistry,
mineral beneficiation, mining engineering and environmental science. The
State is ensuring a minimum lease area with secured land rights so that
investors can safely commit large resources to mining projects. For
surmounting the long-drawn out process of getting mineral-related
leases, at the State level, quick processing of applications is given
top priority. For major minerals under the Mines & Minerals
(Development & Regulation) Act, where approvals are required from
Government of India, the State Government would help in strong advocacy
to get such approvals quickly.
The
State is also encouraging establishment of a Gems and Jewellery Park to
attract new investment in the sector.
Chhattisgarh has the right geological set up to host a number of
economic mineral deposits. It comprises parts of the Bastar and
Singhbhum cratons, which are surrounded by the Middle Proterozoic circum
mobile belts and major rifts.
The
other intra-cratonic supra-crystal belts include rocks of the Middle to
Upper Proterozoic, Carboniferous, Permian, Cretaceous and sub-Recent to
Recent periods. The area has observed multiple major tectonic and
thermal events of various episodes. The rock types of principal
metallogenic and mineralogenic episodes are prevailing in the State,
which confirms the high potential for the search of new mineral
deposits. Simply put, such geological environment is conducive for the
formation of various mineral deposits of excellence.
Placer
diamonds in the State led to the discovery of proterozoic diamondiferous
kimberlites in Mainpur, Raipur district, which invited global attention.
Further kimberlite discoveries in Tokapal, Bastar have added another
potential diamond field. Incidence of diamonds is also known from river
in Raigarh district. It seems that in the non-coal areas, Chhattisgarh
is nestling atop the world’s largest kimberlite area. Eight blocks
have been demarcated for diamond exploration in the State, and are on
offer. Eight international companies have already applied for
reconnaissance permits for diamond, base metal and gold deposits.
Chhattisgarh's potential diamond mines would emerge in the top bracket
of the select group of 22 economical diamond mines in the world, once
full production starts.
Apart
from diamond, four blocks of gold exploration and five blocks for base
metal investigation have been demarcated. Deposits of Alexandrite, one
of the rarest gemstones, are found in Deobhog area of Raipur. Workable
deposits of Corundum are widespread in South Chhattisgarh. Corundum
includes semi-precious varieties of Ruby and Blue Sapphire, and
possibilities of finding precious varieties exist as well. Other
semi-precious minerals like Beryl, Garnet, Amethyst and Rock Crystal are
found in other parts of the State.
A
few major mineral deposits are: (all figures in million tonnes)
Coal : 35000
Iron ore : 2336
Lime stone : 3580
Dolomite : 606
Bauxite : 96
Cassiterite : 29
Reference:
http://www.chhattisgarh.com
Manorama Year Book 2005
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