Mix land use firms for industrial areas in Punjab

LUDHIANA: With Punjab’s budget set for March 10, city industrialists with factories in mix land use (MLU) areas have requested the state government to dedicate a separate industrial area for their firms as they face a September deadline to shift their firms elsewhere due to Ludhiana Masterplan 2023.
Most of the micro and small units in the city, dealing in manufacturing of auto parts, bicycle parts, garments, fasteners etc, are located in these MLU areas like Janta Nagar, Shimla Puri, Shiv Puri, Dashmesh Nagar and Partap Nagar. These industrialists have high expectations from the first budget of the Aam Aadmi Party-led state government.
Jaswinder Singh Thukral, president of Janta Nagar Small Scale Manufacturers’ Association said, “We want the state government to announce a dedicated industrial area for micro and small industry in this budget. This industrial area should have ready-to-move-in factories for these industries.”
Their other demands include easy loans, concession in various governmental charges and low power rates.
Shivpuri based garment manufacturer, Sukhwinder Singh Saini said, “Government should announce a scheme in which such units should be given 100% guaranteed loans to set up factories in recognised industrial areas and repayment should start three years after the start of operations in new factories.”
Former president of United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers’ Association, Inderjit Singh Navyug said, “Government should announce 50% concession for units in MLU areas in various fees like consent charges of pollution control board, property tax, factory license fee etc.”
Engineering goods manufacturer Rajinder Singh Kalsi believes power rates shouldn’t be more than Rs 5 per unit for factories.