Govt to develop logistic parks

BHUBANESWAR: In a move to facilitate growing commercial and industrial activities in the state, the State Government has initiated measures for developing logistic parks in different parts of Odisha.
It has been planned to set up the proposed logistic parks in major industrial hubs like Rourkela, Paradip, Kalinganagar, Jharsuguda, Angul and Dhamra.
According to a concept paper prepared by the Commerce and Transport Department, logistic parks will have the facilities like warehouses, distribution centres, storage areas, offices, truck services, parking lots, truck terminals, container rail terminal, container handling facilities, cold storage, air cargo points, lorries maintenance points, service stations, hospitals, restaurants and rest rooms. The other facilities include weighbridges, telecommunication, commercial place, banks and recreation centres.
Such facilities will have uninterrupted power back up and latest security techniques with a facilitating and sleek administrative set-up.
The centres shall be well connected by roads, railways, inland waterways and air ways. As per preliminary estimate, each unit will require about 50 to 150 acres of land with approximate investment of Rs 150 to 500 crore depending on the size and inclusiveness of services. It is also decided that such units will be developed in public private partnership (PPP) mode.
The concept paper on the proposed logistic park was discussed at a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Secretary BK Patnaik here recently.
The Chief Secretary advised the Commerce and Transport Department to promote mechanised loading in rails and ships so as to avoid load of trucks on roads (avoid trucks waiting for long hours for loading and unloading).
He also advised to have workshops for repair and maintenance of vehicles in the logistic park.
The department was told to prepare a model design of the project mentioning the technical and administrative details and expedite the process of land identification and shortlisting of investors for the purpose. It was also decided that a transaction advisor will be engaged for the purpose.
Sources in the department said steps had been taken for alienation of land for the proposed park at Bhutmundei near Paradip and Kansbahal near Rourkela. The department has also engaged professional agency for development of model design within a week.
Meanwhile, the district collectors of Angul, Bhadrakh, Jajpur and Jharsuguda have been asked to specify the land for development of such parks.