GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) on Wednesday clinched an agreement with Centre's Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (GFCCIL). They have signed the agreement for developing five logistics parks at Mehsana-Palanpur, Ahmedabad, Gandhidham, Bharuch-Dahej and Surat-Hazira .
These parks will support transportation of goods for the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project, supported by the government of Japan. The agreement - which was signed between GIDB CEO Arvind Sharma and GFCCIL managing-director VK Kaul - will help develop the logistics parks to transport goods in the dedicated railway freight corridor, to be set up between Delhi and Mumbai at a cost of Rs 17,000 crore.
The Gujarat portion of the corridor - 570 km long, between Umergam in south Gujarat and Amirgadh in north Gujarat - is estimated to cost Rs 9,000 crore. "Gujarat will spend one-third of the amount," a senior official said.
A presentation before Chief Minister Narendra Modi and senior state officials showed that alignment of the freight corridor will be close to the existing railway tracks, though away from towns and cities in order to avoid traffic congestion. The alignment has been done, suitably taking into consideration easy connectivity to the existing and proposed ports at Hazira, Dahej, Maroli, Khambhat and Dholera. There will be connectivity with railway lines also leading to Pipavav, Mundra and Kandla ports.
The presentation said that the Gujarat government has drawn up a robust infrastructure master plan which includes, six-lane and four-lane roads, conversion of narrow railway tracks into broad gauge and doubling of several broad gauge railway tracks. The master plan also includes a new international merchant airport at Fedra between Ahmedabad and Dholera and a metro railway system between Gandhinagar and Dholera via Ahmedabad. |
