Haryana to connect cities with metro

New Delhi

With quality public transport remaining a challenge in Haryana, the state government has made ambitious plans to connect major cities bordering the national capital with metro rail system.

Announcing this today on the occasion of the 9th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas here, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, "We recognise that good connectivity and efficient transport has a significant bearing on the overall development process. We are taking necessary steps in this regard."

"While the metro has already been extended to Gurgaon, towns like Bahadurgarh, Kundli and Faridabad are also being linked with Delhi through Metro."

The state government has also planned a global corridor along the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway hoping it will open vast opportunities for development of new urban and industrial townships along its 135-kilometre route.

Hooda said that greater emphasis is also being laid on setting up greenfield projects in road sector besides up-gradation of the existing ones and various infrastructure initiatives have been planned under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project in Haryana.

He also said said that Government of India has agreed for setting up of a Nuclear Power Plant in Haryana.

Hooda said that the state government's recently announced Industrial-cum Investment Policy-2011 intends to lay greater focus on development of the hinterland for facilitating inclusive growth.

"New industrial estates are being set up at strategic locations, which provide for developed plots for entrepreneurs with provision of state of the art infrastructure," he said, claiming that the new Industrial and Investment Policy of his government represents a paradigm shift towards creating a vibrant rural economy.

The Chief Minister claimed that the state has attracted an investment of Rs 53 thousand crore in last five years from domestic as well as international sources while investment worth Rs 1 lakh crore is in the pipeline. He said the government has set up two investment promotion centres and Delhi and Chandigarh to promote investment in the state.

"Haryana achieved 81 percent of the pledged investment, which remains the highest in the country," he said.

Hooda said that the state government has launched a major initiative to upgrade the ITIs in collaboration with the corporate sector to scale up their employability.

He said the state government' effort is to involve private sector through PPP mode for bettering health services.

Maintaining that his government wants to offer the state as corporate capital, the Chief Minister expressed the confidence that "it is indeed going to be Destination Haryana all the way during coming years".

While seeking the support of overseas Indians, he urged the gathering to conceive of an "Indian Commonwealth" which should embrace the numerous overseas Indian communities.