Ludhiana: Ind body seeks clarity on 5-yr extension clause

LUDHIANA: In wake of some industrialists making claims on social media that Chief Town Planner Punjab in 2017 had given relief to the industry in Ludhiana’s Mix Land Use (MLU) areas by issuing a notification that Masterplan 2023 can be extended by five years, office of District Industries Centre on Tuesday has written to the Chief Town Planner seeking clarification about the same.
“In case the claim of industrialists is verified, then the industry can get a temporary relief of running their units in the MLU areas till 2028,” said a source.
According to sources, the District Industries Centre (DIC), Ludhiana, has also pursued the matter with Industry and Commerce Department, Punjab, requesting details about the notification and its applicability.
On the other hand, industrialists on Tuesday again sat on a protest outside the DIC office where on Wednesday they will sit on a hunger strike against the state government.
So far, the participating business associations have not cleared how they are going to manage Wednesday’s hunger strike because a large number of businessmen have volunteered to participate, whereas only four can sit on the spot in wake of Section 144 imposed in the city.
Meanwhile, elaborating about benefits available to units shifting from MLU areas to industrial areas, Rakesh Kansal, General Manager, DIC Ludhiana, said, “In case any industrial unit expresses interest to shift from MLU areas, the state government provides hosts of benefits to such units. Some of the benefits include exemption on stamp duty on purchase of land in recognised industrial areas, concession on charges applicable on Change of Land Use and Extra Development Charges. Besides these several lucrative benefits under Invest Punjab policy of Punjab government are also available for setting up of new units.”
As far as Tuesday’s protest is concerned, four prominent industrialists, including Satnam Singh Makkar, president of Dhandari Industrial Welfare Association; Harpal Singh Bhamber, head of bicycle division of Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisations; Balbir Singh Manku, Finance secretary of FICO and Mukesh Airi participated.