|
Chhattisgarh came into being as a state of the Indian Federal Union on
November 1, 2000. It was carved out of the sixteen south-eastern districts of
undivided Madhya Pradesh. Geographically, it has an area of 135,191 sq km, which
makes it the ninth largest state in India.
With a Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) of over US$ 3.3 billion,
Chhattisgarh's economy is the sixteenth largest in India. Being a newly created
state, Chhattisgarh has the advantage of a responsive administration. The state
government is committed to containing establishment costs to less than 40 per
cent of its revenues, so as to make resources available for economically
beneficial activities. The state government has undertaken various initiatives
to curtail unproductive administrative overheads and encourage public-private
partnership. The number of departments in the state government has been limited
to 18 (compared to 52 in the undivided state).
The state has recognised infrastructure provisioning as an industry and has
drawn up an Infrastructure Development Action Plan to facilitate timely
development of physical infrastructure in the state.
Chhattisgarh is rich in minerals and natural resources. The state has a
substantial share of India's coal, iron-ore, bauxite and limestone reserves. In
all 28 varieties of minerals are found in the state. The key sectors of
Chhattisgarh's economy are cement, mining, steel, aluminum and power.
Chhattisgarh's large coal reserves present a large opportunity for
electricity generation in the state. The state also offers opportunities for
investment in infrastructure development.
|
