Trade bodies have hailed the Chief Minister’s announcement in the Assembly on Thursday that a National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) will be set up in Ramanathapuram.
The NIMZ will pave way for establishment of numerous large-scale industries in Madurai that would supply ancillary parts to manufacturing units, said representatives of the trade bodies.
Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the venture would spur industrial and economic growth in Ramanathapuram and create large-scale job opportunities. “It is good that the State government is focusing on industrial development in southern districts with announcements such as extension of Madurai-Tuticorin industrial corridor and NIMZ,” said its president N. Jegatheesan.
According to him, setting up of automobile industries and manufacturing units related to defence and civil aviation will be a boon to southern districts. “It will propel industrial growth in this region akin to what Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited did to the industrial sector in Tiruchi. The State should provide good infrastructure to attract foreign companies,” Mr. Jegatheesan added.
V.S. Manimaran, president of Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (MADITSSIA), said several large-scale industries would come up in Madurai to supply ancillary parts for the manufacturing units in NIMZ.
“Now, ancillary parts industries that manufacture packaging materials, crush metal components and engineering fabrication parts here are dependent on industries in Chennai, Puducherry, Hosur and Coimbatore. These industries comprise 25 per cent of large-scale industries in Madurai,” he said.
Mr. Jegatheesan, however, said projects such as industrial corridor should be completed within a timeframe of five years. “One of the major constraints for acceleration of foreign direct investment in industrial ventures and tourism development in the southern districts is lack of comprehensive international connectivity from Madurai airport,” he said. The Chie Minister must urge the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to include Madurai in bilateral airport treaties with foreign countries, he added.
Ramanathapuram“I see a very good future for the district,” said Collector K.Nanthakumar, reacting to Chief Minister’s announcement of developing NIMZ in Ramanathapuam and Tiruvadanai taluks, establishment of a 15 MLD (million litre per day) capacity desalination plant and a 50 MW solar power unit in Kadaladi taluk on an outlay of Rs. 1,500 crore.
The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) was establishing a 1,600 MW thermal power station at Uppur in Tiruvadanai taluk on an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore and with the development of NIMZ, there would be tremendous potential for development of Tiruvadanai taluk.
Besides the proposed 15 MLD capacity desalination plant at Valinokkam, locations have been identified for five desalination plants, each having 100 MLD capacities, as per government’s earlier announcement, he said. “We are at the advanced stage of completing the studies,” he told The Hindu over phone.
