Won’t spare any more land for new industry, IT sector, says Patil

Even as industrial sector continues to shrink in the city, the UT administration will not spare any more land for setting up new industry. For the record, even for the IT sector, the UT administration has clarified that no more land will be provided for the purpose.

Citing scarcity of land as the biggest hurdle, UT Administrator Shivraj V Patil made it very clear that for the UT administration, providing land for the expansion of health services and educational infrastructure was a priority and not for the industry or IT sector.

Addressing mediapersons at the UT Guest House on Friday, the administrator said PGIMER, which was catering to thousands of residents even from the neighbouring states, needed land for expansion, and the UT administration was making efforts to provide them land. Similarly, Panjab University needed to expand its campus, and fulfilling their needs for land was also the administration's focus.

However, for the IT sector, this has come as a bolt from the blue after the apex court had also cancelled the land acquisition by the UT administration done for the IT Park, phase III.

Apparently, not satisfied with the current growth of the IT sector in the city, Patil said for setting up new industry for different trades and even for the growth of the IT sector, people should look for options in nearby Mohali and Panchkula and the adjoining areas.

He said if need be, the UT administration could provide connectivity and other peripheral services to those industrialists from Chandigarh who decide to set up shop in the adjoining areas.

Not happy with the UT's stand on industry, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal's Chiranjeev Singh said, "Instead (of doing this), the UT administration should try and make the environment for industrial sector more conducive so that the new industry and the existing ones can flourish together."

... contd.

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