Report by OD bureau; Bhubaneswar: Steps have been initiated for establishment of National Investment & Manufacturing Zone (NIZM) in Odisha. For the purpose a high level meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik in the secretariat conference hall last day.

Discussions in the meeting revealed that NIZM is proposed to be developed as an integrated township to provide productive environment to persons transiting from the primary sector to secondary and tertiary sectors. NIZM will function as a self governing and autonomous body.
  
The issues relating to availability of land, requisite eco-system, ownership of the Zone, mortgage of land by allottees for the purpose for financial assistance form banks, resettlement & rehabilitation, rationalization of regulatory procedures, technology acquisition and development, industrial training and skill up gradation, identification of special focus sectors etc.

were deliberated in the meeting. Kalinganagar Industrial area was proposed as one appropriate place for establishment of such zone. Chief Secretary Patnaik advised MSME department to identify potentials of the area like  ready availability of land, water, stable & adequate power supply etc. which can be exhibited to attract small and medium scale industrial and manufacturing units. It has been proposed that one SPV will be formed involving Government of India, Government of Odisha, and the Developers.

Appropriate financial and administrative structure of the SPV will be designed keeping in view financial participation of different stake holders. The SPV will do the Master Planning of the Zone, prepare the strategy for development of the area and formulate rules & procedures for operation and management. It will also work for promotion of investment both domestic and foreign. 
 
Chief Secretary has advised Departments of Industry, IDCO and MSME to prepare the draft project proposal within 15 days for approval of Govt. It has been decided that the project proposal will be finalized and sent to Government of India within 31st October, 2012. Sri Patnaik has also asked IDCO and Director Industries to have dialogue with the perspective entrepreneurs who would like to set up steel based down stream industries in this Zone. Pr. Secretary MSME Sri N.K. Sundaray, CMD IDCO Sri Pradeep Kumar Jena, Special Secretary MSME Sri Pnachanana Das, Director, DTET Hemant Kumar Sharma, CMD OPTCL Sri D.K.Singh along with other senior officials participated in discussions.