3 March 2009
N. Anand
The Hindu
CHENNAI: The Union government has given its nod for the extension of the Chennai-Bangalore Industrial Corridor up to Cuddalore, an official of the State Industrial Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) said.
“What was started as an experimental industrial corridor from Chennai to Hosur has assumed a new dimension, with the recent approval from the Centre. The industrial corridor starts at Cuddalore and ends in Mumbai, and it has been rechristened Cuddalore-Chennai-Bangalore-Mumbai Industrial Corridor,” SIPCOT Chairman and Managing Director N. Govindan told The Hindu.
The extension will mean inclusion of important places such as Puducherry, Tindivanam, Chengalpattu, Tambaram and Oragadam, along with Tier-II and Tier-III cities, to provide competitive infrastructure and promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development up to Mumbai.
The Chennai-Hosur industrial corridor is developed in two phases. The United Kingdom-based Mott McDonald has submitted an interim report for the first phase that will span from Chennai-Sriperumbudur to Ranipet. The second phase starts at Ranipet to reach Bangalore through Hosur. The draft concept paper was conceived by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and the Union Ministry of Commerce of Industry. “After going through the interim report, we have made some suggestions to Mott McDonald. After incorporating the changes, the consultant is expected to submit one more report in the next two weeks,” Mr. Govindan said.
On Monday, the SIPCOT board cleared an industrial corridor connecting Madurai and Tuticorin. The board will shortly float a tender to fix a consultant for conducting a feasibility study.