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Amritsar-Kolkata industrial corridor gets Cabinet nod
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 20
Spinning off a massive infrastructure and manufacturing zone, the Union Cabinet on Monday approved setting up of the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) and formation of the AKIC Development Corporation (AKICDC).

In another major decision, the government cleared several projects as part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), including availing Japanese loans of $ 4.5 billion.

The Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor is proposed to be developed in a band of 150-200 km on either side of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor in a phased manner. It would comprise a belt of at least 5.5 lakh square km in the seven states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. According to a Cabinet statement, Phase-1 of the project will be a pilot project during which at least one Integrated Manufacturing Cluster of 10 square km each would be set up in each of the seven states. Uttarakhand, being a hill state, would be given flexibility with regard to the size of the cluster. At least 40% land in each cluster would be permanently earmarked for manufacturing and agro-processing, considering that substantial part of the area in these states is under agriculture, except in Jharkhand. The clusters envisaged under the project would be entitled to all benefits available under the National Manufacturing Policy.