The Hindu Business Line : ICCI Coimbatore pitches for better infrastructure

What they want
The constitution of `Coimbatore Urban Area Development Authority' as a statutory body
The Government must to take up the ELCOT project
Iimplementation of a marine discharge project to solve the effluent problem of Tirupur

Coimbatore , April 14

The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Coimbatore, has put on notice the contestants for the coming Assembly elections from Coimbatore by presenting to them its `wish list' relating to improvement in infrastructure.

The chamber hopes that the contestants would take up these issues for implementation with the new government. Though the city was instrumental in getting export earnings of more than Rs 10,000 crore, its infrastructural facilities were inadequate compared with even smaller cities, it said.

`Develop urban areas'

The ICCI President, Mr A. Sakthivel, pointed out that Coimbatore had been witnessing rapid economic growth and there is a need for regulating the future development of not only Coimbatore city but also its contiguous urban areas. For this, he suggested the constitution of `Coimbatore Urban Area Development Authority' as a statutory body for the planning and development of the Coimbatore urban area. A new master plan for the area should be formulated before the end of 2006 and till that time, the existing master plan should be implemented. Within the city limits, lands should be classified as places suitable for construction of apartments, commercial complexes and group houses.

To decongest the old city area, the wholesale markets and transport companies in the area should be shifted to the peripheral area of the city and steps should be initiated with the cooperation of the stakeholders. Traffic plans to deal with the needs of the city till 2020 and plans to meet the water supply and drainage requirements and for solid waste management for the population expected by the end of next decade should be prepared.

ELCOT project

Mr Sakthivel said that though the Government of Tamil Nadu had issued an order to alienate about 30 acres of land in favour of the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT) for establishing an IT park, work on it is yet to commence and the Government should be persuaded to take up this project.

The city is also in need of a convention centre for which the chamber has made a representation to the State Government for allotment of land in the heart of the city and he assured that the ICCI would take the necessary steps for building it.

He said land for the expansion of runway of Coimbatore airport was yet to be handed over to the Airports Authority of India and he wanted this issue to be taken up with the State Government.

`Ring road must'

There is a need for forming a ring road around the city and the Avanashi road between the Uppilipalayam signal and Neelambur by-pass should be upgraded to a four-lane road in view of heavy traffic as its leads to the airport and to Salem. Several narrow bridges in the city should be widened and construction of flyovers near Lakshmi Mills and in Gandhipuram should be taken up. The frequent closure of railway gates led to traffic snarls and railway over bridges should be built in many areas to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

Turning to Tirupur, a major knitwear centre near Coimbatore, Mr Sakthivel said there was an imperative need for implementing a marine discharge project to solve the effluent problem faced by the town. He feared that any delay in implementing it would be a threat to the jobs of millions of workers. The project would help the textile industrial belt in the region that includes towns such as Perundurai, Erode and Karur. There is acute shortage of housing facilities for the labour in Tirupur. The knitwear town is also facing labour shortage and efforts should be taken for solving them.

Mr Sakthivel said though most of the states, have embraced VAT, Tamil Nadu was yet to opt for it. Hence, the trade and industry in the State faced serious problems and there was flight of business.

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