After being stuck in the files for several months, the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) will see some activity on the ground with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley making some initial financial allocations to start work on the project.
“The Ahmedabad-Dhaulera Investment Region in Gujarat, and the Shendra–Bidkin Industrial Park near Aurangabad, in Maharashtra, are now in a position to start work on basic infrastructure," Jaitley said during the Budget presentation in Parliament on Saturday.
Dubbed as the ‘New Gujarat within Gujarat’, Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR), about 100 km from Ahmedabad — falls under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project, which is being developed by the DMIC Development Corporation with Japanese funding of about $4.5 billion.
An outcome of the Gujarat government’s Special Investment Region (SIR) Act, 2009, which lays greater emphasis on creating world-class infrastructure for urban centres, Dholera SIR is spread across an area of over 920 sq km, double the size of Ahmedabad city.
The Dholera smart city is being developed as a greenfield city that will use ICT technology for management of urban amenities such as drainage, traffic, and water supplies, among others.
Officials of Dholera SIR believe construction will begin in the next two-three years as the city still remains on the drawing board.
It is believed the Finance Minister's part allocation from the earmarked Rs 1,200 crore for the current year will help the project take its initial few steps.