CHENNAI: An automotive special economic zone will be established in the Oragadam industrial park of the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT), Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi announced in the Assembly on Wednesday.

The facility was proposed to meet the requirements of new investors in the field of automobile components, said Mr. Karunanidhi. He was replying to the debate on the demand for grants to the Industries department.

Over one third of the components produced in the country are from Chennai. Many of the units also export.

SIPCOT would also establish a special economic zone for tanneries and a leather product complex on 250 acres near Chennai. The Chief Minister said he had appealed to the Prime Minister for financial assistance to 11 common effluent treatment plants that proposed to install reverse osmosis system to meet pollution control norms. The total cost of the project was Rs.115 crore.

The Sriperumbudur and Oragadam industrial parks of SIPCOT would be expanded, Mr. Karunanidhi said. For this, 2,000 acres would be acquired. SIPCOT would also establish an industrial park in Madurai. A special economic zone along with an integrated industrial park would be set up by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation in the backward district of Perambalur. It would result in an investment of Rs.5,000 crore in a phased manner and create several thousand jobs.

He said the Kallakurichi II cooperative sugar mill would be setting up a six-mega watt co-generation plant at a cost of Rs.13.50 crore. Ethanol production facilities would come up in Salem and Amaravathi mills at a cost of Rs.6 crore. TIDCO would form a joint sector company for exploration, production and distribution of hydrocarbons in the State. The company would also establish a natural gas distribution network.

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