Finally, city's master plan has been approved.

The move will benefit more than 6,000 industrialists in the Shimlapuri, New Shimlapuri areas, who have been given 10 years as the grace period to move their units out of these colonies.

The master plan also enlists no further expansion of these industrial units. The officials in the district Town Planning wing say that as the sudden uprooting of these units is not possible, hence the industries have been given ample time to shift out. However, the Small Scale Industries Association General Secretary Gurwant Singh said the traders wanted to meet minister Hira Singh Gabria as they were little confused about the statement of the chief minister that dense industrialised areas will not be uprooted in the years to come.

Town Planning wing, however, has categorically stated that so far they have not received any communication about such an issue from the higher authorities. But if the municipal corporation gets the residential town planning schemes dropped (which are more than 15) from these areas by following the proper procedure, only then traders will be benefitted.

Apart from this, even the government-approved residential colonies having commercial activities are also in the line of fire as according to the new master plan no commercial activity is allowed in such colonies.

If one goes by the new master plan, the city will get parking facility in all the market places.

Areas near Sangeet Cinema and Janta Nagar have been declared for mixed-land use but the residents of these areas had given representations to change them into residential use only. Here too, the residents have been left high and dry.

Though the plan has been approved, industrialists are making last ditch efforts to alter the plan as per their interests.

Line of change

* Kohara and Machiwara have been declared for industrial use. These areas were earlier converted into residential category on the demand of industrial houses.

* Husianpura near Jalandhar bypass has been converted into residential area from the mixed-land use catergory.