Several projects in Odisha including the Bhubaneswar Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) and Paradip Port have been included in the Centre’s asset monetization plan.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had recently unveiled the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP). The Centre is contemplating to rake in Rs 6 lakh crore in the next four years by monetising under-utilised infrastructure assets of which Rs 88,000 crore has been targeted for the current financial year (FY22) alone.
The Centre has targeted to generate Rs 900 crore from the privatisation of Bhubaneswar airport and create employment opportunities. The list of assets up for monetisation in the State has been prepared by the Niti Aayog.
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The Centre has also targeted to include four projects of Paradip Port under its ambitious monetization plan. Sources said the work order for the modernisation of inner harbour facility and development of cargo berths in western dock for the transit of large merchant ships will be issued in January 2022.
Apart from this, the Centre has decided to privatise Indian Tourism Development Corporation’s Kalinga Ashoka hotel in Bhubaneswar and Hotel Nilachal in Puri under the national monetization pipeline.
It is pertinent to mention here that while unveiling the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), Finance Minister had stated that several projects have been identified across various sectors including roads, railways and power which is expected to unlock an average of Rs 1.50 lakh crore a year till Financial Year 2025.
The Union Budget 2021-22 also laid a lot of stress on asset monetisation as a tool to raise innovative and alternative financing for infrastructure.