By IANS
Raipur : Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh along with his senior cabinet colleagues laid foundation stone for the construction of the first phase of the state’s dream new capital project, Naya Raipur, Monday at a grand function.
“Naya Raipur will be a planned and eco-friendly modern city and will serve as an engine of growth for the state. It will be equipped with state-of-the-art physical, social and economic infrastructure,” said the chief minister at the function.
Naya Raipur will replace Raipur as the administrative capital of Chhattisgarh, which came into existence in Nov 2000. The new city, about 20 km east of Raipur, is located between National Highways 6 and 43 and will be connected to the present capital city by an expressway.
Singh, along with Revenue Minister Brijmohan Agrawal, Home Minister Ramvichar Netam and Panchayat Minister Ajay Chandrakar, laid the foundation stone at Rakhi village for a five-storied centrally air-conditioned capital complex that will house state secretariat building. The complex would be constructed within 24 months by Hyderabad-based IVRCL Infrastructures and Projects Ltd.
The capital complex, to be spread out on 670,000 sq feet land, would cost around Rs.1.8 billion ($45 million).
The construction work of a four-lane 67 km road has also been begun Monday in Naya Raipur area. This road contract worth Rs.3 billion ($76 million), was awarded to B. Seenaiah and Co (Projects) Ltd.
Officials say Naya Raipur will be spread out on 8,000 hectares, for which the government has to acquire lands of 20 villages.