AAI gives in-principal consent for cargo airport in Haryana

by Haryananewswire

CHANDIGARH, Nov 17

Airport Authority of India has conveyed its in-principle consent to the project site of a Cargo Airport in Haryana after  carrying out preliminary site visit and pre-feasibility study.

          This was disclosed by Haryana Chief Secretary, Mr P.K.Chaudhery, who was  addressing media persons in connection with the ongoing India International Trade Fair, in New Delhi today.

          He said that the  State Government intended to set up a Cargo Airport in Haryana in the NCR Sub-Region. The application was filed with the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation for site clearance. The Ministry of Defence has issued the requisite NOC to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and now the case is being processed by Ministry of Civil Aviation, he added.

          The Chief Secretary said that the Ministry of Railways  is developing a dedicated freight corridor between Delhi and Mumbai covering a length of 1483 kilometres.  In order to tap the opportunities likely to be generated by the freight corridor, a band of 150 kilometres on both sides is being developed as Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) covering the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat  and  Maharashtra.

The DMIC Sub-Region in Haryana covers about 29,362 square kilometres area, which accounts for about 66.4 per cent  of the total area of the State. Apart from four nodes that is  Investment Regions at Manesar-Bawal and  Kundli-Sonipat and Industrial Regions at Faridabad-Palwal and  Rewari-Hissar,  early bird projects have also been identified. These included Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre in Gurgaon district, Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) between Gurgaon-Manesar-Bawal, and Integrated Multimodal Logistics Hub at Bawal in Rewari district.

The DMIC Consultants have submitted pre-feasibility reports for the early bird projects  and these   would be implemented through joint-venture between HSIIDC and DMIC Trust/DMICDC. The  Mass Rapid Transit System from Gurgaon to Bawal would be implemented through a SPV, to be floated jointly by Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation, an agency of the State government and DMIC Trust/DMICDC. Concept Master Plan of Manesar Bawal Investment Region  has been finalized and the State Government has accorded administrative approval to the Concept Master Plan.

Pre-feasibility studies for three projects in Manesar Bawal Investment Region that is Health-cum-Education Hub,  Multimodal Passenger Hub and Affordable low cost housing project are also underway.

          He said that Haryana’s  unprecedented growth story has been scripted during last seven years  by the state-of-the-art infrastructure, industry-friendly policies, responsive administration, peaceful law and order situation and abundant skilled manpower. Haryana’s  average annual growth rate of 9.4 per cent recorded in the past seven years from 2005-06 to 2011-12, which is  substantially higher than the national growth rate of 8.4 per cent, ranks it above many other States and makes it a preferred destination for industrial investment.

Mr P.K.Chaudhery said that while the theme of the trade fair “Skilling India” has been aptly chosen, the Haryana Government  is already laying emphasis on skill development in all spheres of development, especially technical education. He said that steps have also been taken to facilitate artisans and even the potters to upgrade their skills as the State Government has set up a ‘Mitti Kala Board’ and has been giving awards to encourage them.

As a result of effective steps taken to improve skill of the human resource so as to keep pace with the changing scenario, he said that focus has been laid to revamp the technical education. During the last seven years, there has been an unprecedented expansion of educational infrastructure. The number of technical institutions has increased from 161 to 640 and annual intake has gone up from 28,445 to 1,42,226 during this period. We are also taking steps to create a sizeable pool of technical and skilled manpower to take advantage of the knowledge economy.

The setting up of an Indian Institute of Management  has been  approved by Government of India at village Garnavathi in district Rohtak and classes have also been started in a temporary campus at Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak from 2010-11 when 50 students were admitted  and 124 students were admitted in   2011-12.

He said that computer knowledge being the need of the hour,  at present, computer education is being provided to the students in 1240 Government Senior Secondary Schools under a ‘Free Computer Education Programme’. The computer education is also being provided in colleges. Out of 80 Government colleges,   74 colleges have already established computer labs and computers, other equipment, accessories and furniture   have also been supplied involving total expenditure of Rs. 21.59 crores. Efforts are being made to establish computer labs in the remaining colleges.  Also, from the session 2010-11 English labs have been set up in 25 Government colleges which are to be developed as centers of excellence. Emphasis is also being laid to improve soft skills of the students by giving them intensive training in communication skills and interpersonal skills, especially for BPO industry and ITES sector.

An ambitious  project known as National Vocational Education Qualification Framework  has been lunched in Haryana on September 3,2012 by the then Union Minister of Human Resource Development as a pilot project in 40 schools covering all the four revenue divisions of Haryana and it   includes nine districts  of  Gurgaon, Faridabad, Mewat, Palwal, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Fatehabad, Ambala and Yamuna Nagar.

He said that four State of art institutions namely State Institute of Fashion Design, State Institute of Film and Television Design, State Institute of Fine Arts Design and State Institute of Urban Planning and  Architecture Design have been established at Rohtak in the year 2011-12.

Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology has been established in the campus of Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and  Technology, Murthal. National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management has been set up by Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries at Kundli in district Sonepat, which offers various under-graduate and post-graduate courses related to Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management.

He said that a Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) is coming up at IMT Rohtak to cater to the need of trained manpower for the industrial units in footwear sector. The  Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs has been  set up at IMT Manesar by the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs to  function as a think tank, action research, service delivery and capacity building support to the Ministry, corporate sector, professionals and related stakeholders.

Three new IMTs at Rohtak, Faridabad, and Roz-ka-Meo are at different stages of development. It is also proposed to develop an Industrial Model Township at Kharkhauda.

He said that Haryana IGNOU Society for Community Education and  Training has been constituted for the Governance of Haryana IGNOU Community College and Institute of Competency Advancement of Teachers, at Government Polytechnic, Manesar, Gurgaon.

He said that the Chhotu Ram State College of Engineering, Murthal has been upgraded as Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal in the year 2006 and granted status of Affiliating University in the year 2009-10 by an Act of Legislature. The YMCA Institute of Engineering and Technology, Faridabad has also been upgraded as  YMCA University of Science and Technology, Faridabad by an Act of Legislature in the Year 2009. Also, six such private universities have been established which included ITM University, Gurgaon, APEEJAY Stya University, Gurgaon, AMITY University, Manesar, Gurgaon,Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Sadopur, Ambala,O.P. Jindal University, Sonepat and MVN University, Palwal. The deemed universities included NIT Kurukshetra,Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Mullana, Ambala, Manav Rachna International Univeristy, Faridabad and Lingaya’s University, Faridabad.

While referring to future plans to  further give a boost to technically skilled manpower, he said that the Central Government was establishing an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT)   in PPP mode  at village Kilrod, district Sonipat, a National Institute of Fashion Technology at Pinjore in district Panchkula  and a National Institute of Design at Kurukshetra. Also, the extension campus of IIT Delhi is being established at Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Kundli in district Sonepat.

The State Government is also setting up Government Engineering  Colleges at Jhajjar and Rewari. Five Government Polytechnics are being established under the Government of India Financial Assistance Scheme. These included  namely Ch. Ranbir Singh Hooda Institute of Irrigation and Power Engineering, Hathni Kund in district Yamuna Nagar, Government Polytechnics at Umri  in district Kurukshetra, Jattal in district Panipat,   Dhangar  in district Fatehabad and  Nanakpur  in district Panchkula. In addition, six new Government Polytechnics are being established under the State Plan.

He said that the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with IL&FS Cluster Development Initiative to up-grade  skills and improve employability of the landowners whose land is acquired or the Project Affected Persons. More than 500 students or trainees have already completed their training in computer skills and English speaking, computer hardware and maintenance and sewing machine operations, in Faridabad and Rohtak districts.

The Chief Secretary said that the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries has decided to implement the scheme for technology up-gradation, set  up or  modernise or expand food processing industries and scheme for human resource development. It has also decided to implement a scheme for creation of infrastructure facilities to run  degree or diploma or certificate courses in food processing technology.

The HARTRON is also providing computer education to people living in rural areas, weaker sections of the society and urban youths to make them IT savvy through dedicated franchise centres as well as various training programmes. The HARTRON  has 88 Franchise Centres all over Haryana and  Chandigarh to provide  computer courses for a duration ranging from  one month to two years for software, hardware, networking and multi-lingual data entry. Till date, the HARTRON has imparted computer educations to 45,000 candidates through franchise centres and training to 86,000 candidates under   various scheme or projects of State and Central Governments. These include 7800 officers and officials of various government Departments, Boards and Corporations.

The Chief Secretary said that the Haryana Tourism Corporation has joined hands with India Tourism Development Corporation to enable the youth of the state to acquire skills for gainful employment. The youth falling in the age group of 18-28 years and who are eighth class pass are taking the benefit of the scheme known as  “ Hunar Se Rozgar Tak”. Even the hearing and speech impaired persons have been imparted training and they got jobs in hotels.

 He said that while health services are being expanded and new medical colleges are being set up to achieve the goal of Health for all, it is also our endeavour to involve the private sector in the development of medical infrastructure and facilities through public-private partnerships. We have an excellent track record on the law and order front with one of the lowest crime rates in the country. The work force in Haryana is diligent and hard working. The number of mandays lost on the industrial front in Haryana is one of the lowest in the country. Haryana is one of the first States to come out with a comprehensive and progressive Labour Policy.

He said that with Haryana scaling new heights of development, during the last about seven years, the State has received investments to the tune of Rs. 61,000 crore. Further investments to the tune of Rs.97,000 crore are in pipeline.

He said that   economic prudence and long term strategic planning, along with an effective implementation regime  have given impetus to a steady expansion of trade and investment opportunities in Haryana. As a result, the State has transformed itself from an agrarian economy into a modern and vibrant state; generating income and employment; bringing new investments; making farm economy robust; developing both rural as well as urban areas; improving education and health facilities; ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth with human dignity; and providing transparent and responsive governance.