CII President Sunil Bharti Mittal assured the Bihar Chief Minister of CII's 'special initiatives' to woo the country's private industrial giants to the state.
PATNA: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) President Sunil Bharti Mittal on Wednesday assured the Bihar Chief Minister of CII's 'special initiatives' to woo the country's private industrial giants to the state following the 'gross improvement of its overallimage and satisfactory growth in infrastructure'.
Leading a high-powered CII delegation of Eastern India at an interactive session with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here, Mr Mittal, also the CEO of telecom giant AIRTEL, said the CII had already conducted a detailed survey about the prospect of satisfactory industrial growth in Bihar keeping in mind its 'image' to outside investors, particularly in terms of law and order, corruption and the availability of basic infrastructural facilities.
''But to my pleasant surprise, we have found that under the leadership of the present Chief Minister, the overall negative perception about Bihar is fast changing for the better and now it has become the bounden duty of the CII to spread the message to our industrialist friends and colleagues and encourage them to make substantial investments in various sectors,'' Mr Mittal told the Chief Minister.
Citing his own example in which the AIRTEL had already made an investment to the tune of Rs 2,000 crores in Bihar since last year and had been planning to make further investment of Rs 700 crores to Rs 800 crores every year towards further improving the telecom network in the state, Mr Mittal said he was also 'actively considering' to make substantial investment in the food processing and agro-based industries as both had huge growth potential in the state.
''On my return to New Delhi I shall also convene the CII National Council meeting to discuss at length the Bihar issues and the scope of substantial investment in various sectors shortly'', Mr Mittal stated.
Earlier seeking 'fullest cooperation' from the CII and its members to satisfactorily carry forward the ongoing industrial rejuvenation programme of the state government and presenting his ideas through a smart power point presentation, the Chief Minister, however, expressed serious concern at the unsatisfactory inflow of private sector investment in the state during the current 11th plan period so far even as it was targeted to only about Rs 1,10,000 crores.
''On the contrary in terms of the public sector outlay of Bihar during the same plan period we are confident of easily surpassing the target figure of Rs 50,000 crores to reach even as high as Rs 80,000 crores by 2012,'' Mr Kumar said and sought the whole-hearted cooperation from the CII to take Bihar among the most industrialised states.
Besides the Chief minister, Deputy Chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who also holds the finance portfolio, Chief Secretary and senior officials of all departments were present during the hour long meeting, while CII Eastern Region Chairman Biswadip Gupta, Chief of its Bihar unit S K Singh and many others also attended.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}