The green lands that are spread across the boundaries of this city are now having more textile mills, foundries, and engineering industries, thanks to rapid industrial development.
The Master Plan for the city should reflect this development and the land reclassification process should be simplified, say the entrepreneurs here.
New Delhi is one of the few cities that have industrial zones in its Master Plan.
This gives a boost to industrial development in the designated area and rapid development of the nearby places too as industrial activity leads to employment generation and infrastructure development.
The Coimbatore Master Plan has mixed development. Reclassification of land for industries will lead to rapid development of units and expedite infrastructure development, such as roads and water connections, in the outer areas of the city too, according to an official in the Local Planning Authority (LPA).
Industrial development is fast on the outskirts of the city. Many units that are located in the city are now moving out, new factories are coming up and existing units are expanding outside the city. They want reclassification of agricultural or commercial land to industrial.
In January this year, the State Government gave its consent for review of the Master Plan, which was last approved in 1992. Suggestions and objections were invited from the public. The LPA received nearly 3,000 applications and most of these are related to land reclassification.
Nearly 50 members of the Southern India Engineering Manufacturers' Association had also submitted applications for land reclassification. Some members had received the reclassification but this did not reflect in the Master Plan. The LPA held a meeting with the members a month ago.
Even four years ago, members of the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association submitted over 1,000 applications for land reclassification. About 400 of it were reclassified. The rest of the applications were given again recently.
Earlier this year, the State Government had identified over two dozen villages in the fringe areas of the city and sought suggestions from the industries on classifying some areas as industrial.
M. Kandhaswami, president of Coimbatore District Small Industries' Association, says the procedure for reclassification of lands as industrial sites are cumbersome now and time consuming.
The process should be simplified, and industrial zones should be designated in the Master Plan, especially in the fringe areas of the city.
In the case of applications that were already given to the LPA, the consent should be given soon.
The official of the LPA says applications that were submitted earlier and pending with it will be incorporated in the Master Plan.
Issues such as earmarking areas for industrial development will be decided after incorporating the suggestions and objections.
