Industry body requests govt to revitalise Mahindra SEZ

Jaipur: All-Rajasthan Agriculture Trade & Industries Association (Airatia) has forwarded a six-point demand to chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, proposing to revitalise Mahindra SEZ in Mahapura, which has been underutilised for the last one decade and a half.

Airatia president Banechand Jain said the most important demand made in the memorandum is the construction of a proposed 200-ft road, which has been under construction for the last 20 years. "This road is the lifeline of Mahindra SEZ. It would connect the SEZ with Ajmer Expressway. Although two roads –Mahapura Road and SEZ Road – exist, these are also incomplete and insufficient to handle traffic volume," Jain said.

The memorandum also highlights that there is no well-equipped hospital in a 40-km radius of Sodalala and Bagru on both sides of Ajmer Road and Expressway, even though the stretch houses over 200 colonies, 10 engineering colleges with residential facilities, Ring Road, and four industrial areas on this highway.

"We have informed govt that at least four large hospitals are essential to serve the population living on both sides of this 40-km stretch," said Jain, who is also general secretary of Rajasthan Vyapar Mahasangh.

The traders' body also urged govt to commence operations from Heerapura bus terminal promptly and extend Metro train operations to the bus terminal. "Furthermore, we have requested a reduction in electricity tariff for industrial units of the SEZ to Rs 5 per unit, akin to our neighbouring state of Punjab. Besides, most land parcels available in the vicinity being agricultural land, we have requested a streamlined process to transfer the nature of the land once it is purchased," Jain added.