E-Paper
Punjab govt grants consent to units to operate in MLU areas
The decision was conveyed on Tuesday by environment minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer to a delegation of Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU), United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers Association (UCPMA) and Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisations (FICO)
In a major relief to industry situated in mixed land use areas, the Punjab government on Tuesday ordered granting consent at regular intervals to such units.
The decision was conveyed on Tuesday by environment minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer to a delegation of Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU), United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers Association (UCPMA) and Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisations (FICO).
After hearing the grievances of the industry, the minister said that the CM has decided to grant consent at regular intervals to the industries located in the MLU areas of Ludhiana. Keeping in view the larger interests of small industries, this decision has been taken to protect them from being dislocated.
According to a statement issued by the Punjab government, “On the directions of the chief minister Bhagwant Mann, the state government has decided to allow granting consent at regular intervals to the industries located in the mixed land use (MLU) areas of Ludhiana as per the policy of the Punjab Pollution Control Board.”
The businessmen had gone to meet chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for a meeting convened on this issue by Ludhiana MLA Kulwant Singh Sidhu, but due to unavailability of the chief minister, the meeting was presided over by Hayer along with senior officials of several government departments.
There are thousands of units located in 72 mixed land use areas in the city, including Janta Nagar, Shimlapuri, Chet Nagar, Ram Nagar, Dashmesh Nagar, Partap Nagar and New Janta Nagar, where owners run the units without employing any workers.
The deadline to shift these units to designated industrial areas was September 18.
As per regulations of masterplan 2023 of Ludhiana, the factories located in MLU areas had to stop operations in these areas and shift to designated industrial areas from September onwards.
Already in wake of the fast-approaching deadline, several departments like Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) had stopped renewal of the mandatory consent (permission to operate) given to the factories of MLU areas.
“The decision taken by the state government today comes as a huge relief for the industry. Approximately 50,000 micro and small units which are backbone of industrial supply chain were in a state of uncertainty, as PPCB had stopped renewing the consent and other departments were also going to follow the suit. With this decisive action today, factory owners of MLU areas can now run their factories without any tension,” said Upkar Singh Ahuja, CICU president.
For the last six months, several industrial organisations had sat on a hunger strike and also staged protest demanding extension of the deadline to shift these units.
They had even threatened to bar entry of officers of all government departments in the MLU areas recently.
DS Chawla, president of UCPMA, Inderjit Singh Navyug, ex-president of UCPMA, Avtar Singh Bhogal, who were also part of this delegation hailed the decision.
Gurmeet Singh Kular, president, Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation (FICO) said these units established in the mixed land use are primarily micro scale, working in small plots ranging between 20 and 200 square yards, and they do not have the financial capacity to shift the industry.
“These units work with limited resources and follow the norms of the Punjab Pollution Control Board strictly. Also, there are only small powers and medium supply connection in these areas. These industries must be provided with relief and allowed to operate only in MLU areas,” he said.
MLA Sidhu said that 70% of the mixed land use areas are used for industrial purposes and it is not possible to shift these industries.
Declare MLU as industrial area, says SSMA
A section of industry flayed the decision of the government, saying that their fight for right of MLU areas factory owners will continue.
These businessmen, most of whom have factories in Janta Nagar area, said that the state government rather than ordering Punjab Pollution Control Board to keep renewing the permissions should have declared the MLU areas as industrial.
“The problem remains and we will continue to be harassed by PPCB unless the MLU area is declared as industrial area,” said Jaswinder Singh Thukral, president of SSMA.
