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Gamang seeks to transform Orissa thru small-scale sector

Orissa Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang has said that his state was seeking self-reliance through development of small-scale industries rather than going for mammoth projects.

(Incidentally, Gamang's ballot in the April 17 trust vote in the Lok Sabha is believed to have led to the exit of the Vajpayee government.)

Gamang addressed the "Infrastructure and Investment -- India 1999" conference in New Delhi on April 21. ''Mahatma Gandhi's doctrine of development of India through development of small-scale industries would go a long way towards making the country self-reliant and Orissa a pioneer in promoting this perspective of development. I'm determined to see this come through.''

The four-day event, organised jointly by Wisitex Foundation and India Investment Centre, was meant to create better rapport between the government and industry so as to promote investment in the state's infrastructure sector.

''We are primarily seeking investment in agriculture, mineral-based industries and the food-processing sector, and the development of infrastructure in this sphere,'' he added.

''Our new strategy for attracting large-scale investment will focus on ''interaction and information''. We have the basic perquisites to attract investment but most of them remain unknown to people.

''We shall enlighten the people about Orissa's potential and through effective interaction with the industry and others we expect to make a good show,'' Gamang said.

Orissa is home to several major industries, mainly paper, cement, aluminium and steel besides being endowed with a fifth of the nation's mineral wealth.

''We are a power surplus state with massive investment proposals in new power plants. Land availability, abundant mineral wealth, cheap manpower, besides a wide transportation network, make Orissa the new investment hub,'' Gamang added.

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