Rapid Rail Corridor planned for Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat

By Haryananewswire

CHANDIGARH, APRIL 19

The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said that a Rapid Rail Corridor has been planned for Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat and Delhi-Gurgaon-Rewari-Alwar for which Rs 40,000 crore will be invested. Mr Hooda was speaking at a three-day exposition on “Investment Opportunities in Sonipat-Kundli” in New Delhi today.

            He described Sonipat as the future city of Haryana and said that Gurgaon, the millennium city is the face of the country. The Haryana Government has a plan for developing many more cities like Gurgaon. The State Government is according top priority to provide connectivity. The Delhi Metro has been extended up to Gurgaon and it is being further extended up to Ballabhgarh and Bahadurgarh. Delhi Metro will be extended up to Manesar in Gurgaon district. Delhi Metro will also be extended upto Kundli after reaching Narela. Haryana Government will be contributing its due share for this project, he added.

            Mr Hooda said that a new railway line is under construction between Sonipat and Gohana, ultimately going up to Jind. He said that Sonipat-Kundli area, located on national highway road next door to Delhi, has great potential for development. It is connected with six-lane NH-1, KMP Expressway and major railway line.

            Mr Hooda said that an international horticulture market is coming up at Gannaur, which will be a potential hub for export of fruits, flowers and vegetables. He said that the industrial complex of Kundli-Rai is spread over an area of about 2500 acres with Electronic Hardware Technology Park and a Food Park in Rai. A new IMT is planned near Kharkhauda and Industrial Township is proposed to be developed near Gohana, he added.

            Mr Hooda said that there are four basic parameters to evaluate the growth story of any State. While referring to these parameters, he said that today Haryana is number one State in per capita investment and is also number one in per capita income among bigger States. Per capita Plan expenditure of Haryana is also the highest in the country and as per the Planning Commission report, the resource mobilization in Haryana during eleventh five year plan had been 192 per cent of the projected mobilization as against the national average of 92.5 per cent, which substantiate the progress of Haryana. In reply to a question, Mr Hooda said,  “I know only about Haryana model of development, which is very successful and can be verified on these parameters. Gujarat is not ahead of Haryana in any of these four parameters of per capita income, per capita investment, per capita planned expenditure and resource mobilization”.  

                        Mr Hooda said that on assuming office of Chief Minister in 2005, the first challenge faced by his Government was that of acute power shortage. His Government decided to set up four thermal power plants in the State. Today, the power availability in the State has gone up from 1587 MW to over 6500 MW and there is no shortage of power in the State. Another challenge was of creating employment opportunities for the youth and making them employable. Increase in the power generation capacity and availability of excellent infrastructure helped in increasing the pace of industrialization, leading to more employment opportunities in Haryana.

            Mr Hooda said that Rajiv Gandhi Education City is being developed in this area and eleven reputed educational institutions including National Law University and the extension campus of IIT Delhi have been allotted land. With Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology at Murthal, an All Women University at Khanpur along with a Women Medical College, O.P. Jindal Global University, The National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) and a number of other institutions, Sonipat-Kundli area is all set to emerge as a major education hub of international standard.

            A number of industrialists, developers and investors are participating in the conclave. The Principal Secretary to Haryana Chief Minister Mr Chhatar Singh, Principal Secretary, Town and Country Planning Haryana Mr S.S. Dhillon, Principal Secretary Agriculture Mr Roshan Lal, Principal Resident Commissioner Mr P.K. Mahapatra, Managing Director of HSIIDC Mr Tarun Bajaj, Director General of Information and Public Relations Haryana Mr Sudhir Rajpal, Media Advisor to Haryana Chief Minister,   Mr Shiv Bhatia, Additional Media Advisor Mr Sunil Parti and others senior officers of the State Government were also present on the occasion.