Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel laid the foundation stone of three important projects — a commercial hub, an aerocity and Shaheed Smarak — at Nava Raipur on Tuesday.

“This day marked the foundation stone laying of the country’s largest wholesale commercial market which is expected to generate employment opportunities for lakhs of people,” said Baghel on the occasion.

Baghel also announced that commercial plots would be allocated to businessmen in the commercial hub at the rate of Rs 540 per square foot.

“With the aim of promoting investment, settlement, and commercial activities in Nava Raipur, a commercial hub will be developed on 1,083 acres.

“Similarly, an aerocity will be developed on 216.63 acres in the identified villages of Baroda and Ramchandinear Swami Vivekananda Airport to promote passenger facilities in Nava Raipur, development of commercial airport area, and employment generation,” said a communique issued by the chief minister’s secretariat.

Shaheed Smarak will be established on 13 acres in the VIP battalion in the village Parsada (Sector-3) of Nava Raipur. It will have walls engraved with the names of 2,700 martyrs.

“The land allocated for the first phase of the commercial hub will include the development of around 1,000 wholesale commercial shops, with space for 20 different businesses. Separate areas have been allocated for wholesale grocery, incense sticks, wholesale gunny bags, pulse mills, paper trade, etc.,” added the communique.

The state government has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for the development of the commercial hub in the financial year 2023–24. The infrastructure of the commercial hub at a city level and the infrastructure development of 125 acres in the first phase will be completed at a cost of Rs 195.51 crore.

According to a senior official at the chief minister’s secretariat, the land identified for the commercial hub project is on National Highway 30. It is situated near the allotment of the Bharat Mala Project and has railway connectivity. The marked land is located about 12 kilometres from Swami Vivekananda Airport. The land use of the allocated land is mixed with public and semi-public land uses.

Based on consultation and surveys conducted with approximately 7,743 wholesale business associations, the market demand was assessed. The demand assessment and product mix are determined based on the availability of land in the identified area and the priority of business activity. A zoning plan is prepared for a total of 1,083 acres divided into business clusters, and the development proposed will be carried out in phases.

Similarly, there is provision for the establishment of commercial institutions, shopping complexes, and hotels in the aerocity.

Bhupesh Baghel had announced the establishment of aerocity on the occasion of Republic Day on January 26.

In order to prioritise the financial interests of the authority and market assessment, the first phase of development will focus on an area of approximately 24.85 acres.

The layout plan covers an area of 15.45 acres owned by the government. The plan proposes four commercial plots ranging from 0.62 acres to 3.01 acres, one shopping complex of 0.82 acres and 1.44 acres of land designated for a hotel. To support the development of aerocity, the state has allocated a budget of Rs 2 crore for the financial year 2023–24.

Chhattisgarh Amar Jawan Jyoti will be constructed on approximately 6 acres of land and the Smarak museum on a 1,500 square metre area, parade ground for platoon, spectators gallery, barracks for soldiers.

The state government has issued administrative approval of Rs 47.75 crore for this project.