DMIC still has no anchor project, Auric hall turns into showpiece

Auric hall was constructed at a cost of Rs 130 crore

VAIBHAV PARWAT

Aurangabad, Oct 5:

Since the inauguration by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), one of the central government's most ambitious projects, has been awaiting an anchor project. Also, not even a single corporate office nor a bank has been set up in the high-tech Auric hall, which was constructed at a cost of Rs 130 crore. Instead Rs 2.5 crore has been spent on maintenance and repair of the building and power supply in the past two and a half years.

The central government had set up industrial corridors to boost industry in six places in the country. These include the DMIC at Shendra-Bidkin. The government acquired 10,000 acres of land in both the areas for this project. The work of Shendra phase has been completed in the first phase and so far 68 plots have been distributed to various companies. Out of them, 9 companies have started production at present. A company is awaiting the approval of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. Meanwhile, Russian steel company NLMK has started construction. The company's construction will be completed soon and production will begin. The company is expected to develop a chain of other vendors in the steel industry. Even so, an anchor project is still beyond the reach of the DMIC.

Auric hall turns to a showpiece

DMIC still lacks an anchor project. Similarly, the Auric hall has also turned into a mere showpiece as not even a single investment has come forward for Auric Hall. The hall has six floors, including the basement. The first and the fifth floor are for the administrative use and the rest are for banks, IT companies and other small and medium enterprises. Meanwhile, the delegation from the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) had visited the Auric hall. However, no investment has yet been made.

Electricity bill in lakhs

The high-tech building, gets an electricity bill of Rs 12 lakh per month. The building is fully air-conditioned with centralised air-conditioning. In addition, lifts, electrification and other electronic facilities are also provided. Apart from this, at least Rs 2.5 to 3 crore has been spent on maintenance and repairs, sources said. In comparison, not a single rupee has been earned from this building yet.