States have been very slow in extending cooperation for big infra projects: Piyush Goyal

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday lamented that states have been “very slow” in extending their cooperation and transferring land for big infrastructure projects like industrial corridors. Replying to a supplementary during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Goyal said, “I say with a lot of sadness that the kind of cooperation which could have been received and should have been received from the states in encouraging these projects in industrial corridors has been, unfortunately, very slow.”

He also told the House that some states have not transferred the full land for projects like Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).

“Many states have not yet transferred the full land because of which many projects are getting delayed. Some projects are getting completed because state governments were active and, therefore, a matching share was received from the state government,” he said.

The minister also said that though DMIC was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2011, the then central government did not provide adequate funds for the same.

“In fact, this project was first approved in 2008. But, after that, for several years, neither did the central government provide adequate funds nor did the whole project come into shape though it was approved by the Cabinet in 2011,” he stated.

Goyal also members to help convince their respective states for extending their support and cooperation in implementing these big infrastructure projects.