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MP seeks special plan to develop Coimbatore

Special Correspondent

`City emerging as a hub of domestic, international trade' `City emerging as a hub of international trade'

Coimbatore: The Member of Parliament for Coimbatore K. Subbarayan has sought a Special Project Plan for the infrastructure development of Coimbatore.

In a memorandum to the Prime Minister, he contended that it was a "compelling need" because the city was "emerging as a successful hub of domestic as well as international trade".

Mr. Subbarayan submitted that Coimbatore had been a centre of world trade for long. The high concentration of cotton spinning mills, which earned it the title `Manchester of South India', resulted in a number of ancillary industries too.

Now the district had around 4,000 registered factories, 300 large and medium units, thousands of small scale and cottage industries, besides several village and agro-based units. "About 60 per cent of the pumps used in India are supplied from here as also 40 per cent of motors and auto parts." He said that the industry here had shown remarkable resilience to face the global crisis and policy changes by adapting to them and through intrinsic innovation. It recorded annual earnings of Rs. 10,000 crores through exports last year.

The volume of software exports from here more than doubled this year. "It is the second largest Information Technology centre, only next to Chennai."

He submitted that the recent survey conducted for the Confederation of Indian Industries ranked Coimbatore fourth in growth potential in the country, only after Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh. "Even in the academic sphere, Coimbatore is poised to emerge as one of the largest suppliers of human resources by 2008."

However, the infrastructure of the city was "very deficient to sustain this growth potential" and would hinder the city's progress. He suggested the following plan for improving its infrastructure: conversion of 100 km long roads into high-tech roads, construction of stormwater drains through the entire stretch, road laying done with the co-ordination of various departments to avoid digging the road at will and laying of concrete cable lines along the stormwater drain.

Link roads

Besides, he sought five new link roads connecting the important industrial pockets, construction of 10 mini flyovers and elevated highways to tackle the traffic congestion.

To ensure safety and facilitate easy pedestrian crossing, subways should be constructed at Lakshi Mills Junction, Gandhipuram-RV Hotel Junction, Ukkadam Bus Stand, Town Hall, Railway Junction, Saibaba Colony, Ramanathapuram Junction, Singanallur Junction, GRD College Bus Stop, PSG College Bus Stop and Uppilipalayam Junction. A new bypass road linking the suburban areas such as Kalapatti and Saravanampatti should also be laid, he pleaded.

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