Corpn seals micro units operating without licence

Coimbatore: The city corporation on Tuesday sealed two micro industrial units at TVS Nagar for functioning without licences.
The move comes after the Tamil Nadu Local Bodies Ombudsman ordered the closure of the two units based on a complaint filed by P Kanagachalam stating that the units were polluting the environment. Besides, the units were functioning on the same premises.
On the other hand, industry insiders alleged that the corporation officials closed the units even without verifying the claims of the complainant.
J James, president of the district chapter of the Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Micro Enterprises (TACT), said, it is not necessary for cottage and micro units to get licence for functioning. “The two sealed units had been operating for more than 15 years in that location. The complainant’s claims were baseless. He was motivated by personal reasons as he was living a few kilometre away from the units,” he said before pointing out that the units were limping back to normalcy after the pandemic.
However, a senior corporation official said they had probed the complaint and found that the units didn’t get licence from the local body.
“Even a micro unit must get licence from the local body. Despite repeated warnings, the units failed to suspend production. Meanwhile, the complainant approached the Tamil Nadu Local Bodies Ombudsman about the units. The ombudsman ordered the closure of them,” the official added.
Even as the association members are planning to meet the senior authorities in the district over the issue, a corporation source said the units have no other options but to relocate to other locations or file an appeal to the ombudsman.