The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized an interactive session with the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission in which a set of demands including establishment of Industrial estate in Coimbatore was made.
Coimbatore: The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry organised an interactive session with the Members of State Planning Commission (TN) during their visit to Coimbatore on 8th April 2022.
Prof. R. Srinivasan, Full Time Member, Dr. M. Vijayabaskar, Additional Full Time Member and Dr. G. Sivaraman, Part Time Member of State Planning Commission visited our Chamber and addressed our Members. On this occasion the chamber submitted a Memorandum containing the subjects received from our Members and Member Associations relating to certain Infrastructure Facilities, Master Plan for Coimbatore, including.
1. Early release of the Master Plan for Coimbatore which is pending since 1994. We appealed to keep the draft Master Plan for comments of all Stakeholders before preparation of the final Master Plan.
2. Foundry Industry: Suggested for establishment of sand reclamation plant in Foundry Clusters since this will reduce the cost of foundry and also for a project of Common Melting Plant with mobile furnace facility in Foundry Clusters. Appealed for provision of Rs. 5 crores for the above two projects. In order to create a pollution free environment the government requested the promotion of use of molasses as binding agent for sand binding.
3. Appealed for giving a representation to Coimbatore/Chamber in all the Committees constituted by the government so that the subjects related to the respective Committees may be submitted to the government in the interest of people of Coimbatore region.
4. Sanction of cost escalation to the Government contracts in Public Works, Highways, Water Supply Departments irrespective of escalation of cost whenever whole sale price index are changed upwards and also suggested for automatic increase in contracts value.
5. We requested for equal contribution from the State Government for Research and Development projects which are at present getting Central Government subsidies from 50 to 80 percent. For want of funds contribution, many research projects could not be implemented by Industrial Associations. Hence, we appealed for equal contribution of State Government since this will help Industrial Associations to take on Research and Development Projects.
6. Allocation of 90% of funds for Skill Development by the State Government. Skill Development Centres are set up to help MSMEs to absorb sufficient man power with required skills. We suggested that cost of accommodation and local conveyance be enhanced to the trainees of Skill Development Centres. We also appealed that Government should ensure provision of jobs to the trainees in Skill Development Centres after completion of Training.
7. Airport expansion: Requested the government to speed up the acquisition and expansion process on war footing. This will help operation of wide bodied international air crafts at Coimbatore airport and also for huge revenue.
8. Blue Collar Townships: To meet the growing housing demand of the migrant work force, we suggested to the government to create Blue Collar Townships under PPP mode as a satellite city catering to their basic amenities as well as improving their standard of living.
9. TANGEDCO: Requested the Government to increase the LT limit from 112 KW to 150 KW.
10. Infrastructure: A mega industrial estate of about 1000 – 1500 acres in Coimbatore to be promoted by SIDCO.
11. Coimbatore – Madurai and Coimbatore – Hosur Industrial Corridors to be developed.
12. To develop the Tamil Nadu Defence Corridor for promotion of sourcing of spares and other Services from TNDIC nodes Viz. Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem, Trichy and Hosur.
There was an effective interaction in which participants raised for government’s support for environmental protection from pollution, prevention of encroachments in water bodies, to introduce online issue of “e-adangal”, chittah, and for agriculture suggested to promote paddy production and separate storing depots for storage, provision of accommodation for migrant labour etc.
While replying to the suggestions/comments of the participants the Members of Planning Commission agreed to take up all the issues with the government on priority basis and do the needful.
The undersigned welcomed the gathering and the meeting was well attended by the Members of Associations affiliated to our Chamber and also leading Agriculture farmers and ended with the Vote of Thanks proposed by S Natarajan, Secretary.