The Hindu Business Line : Kalam help sought to get Coimbatore on the fast track

THE Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Coimbatore, has sought the intervention of the President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, to improve the infrastructure facilities in the city that has emerged as a major outsourcing hub for textiles and engineering goods, auto components etc.

An ICCI delegation led by its President, Mr A. Sakthivel, which met Dr Kalam, in a memorandum, pointed out that the city has been neglected in respect of railway infrastructure facilities. There was a need for the introduction of overnight train between Coimbatore and Bangalore. A circular railway system linking Mettupalayam, Pollachi, Tirupur and Palakkad with Coimbatore was urgently required in view of growing traffic. The existing road transport was not sufficient to cope with the growth in passenger traffic.

The memorandum said as Coimbatore was the second most industrially developed city after Chennai in Tamil Nadu, there was a need for a convention centre that could accommodate 1,500-2,000 people. The issue has been brought to the notice of the Central and State Governments.

It pointed out that representations have been made to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for launching international flights to Germany, UK, Singapore, Malaysia and the Gulf. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) was stated to have deposited Rs 16.95 crore with the Tamil Nadu Government for acquiring nearly 80 acres for expansion of the airport runway, work on which has already commenced. But the acquisition process has not been completed and unless the State Government handed over the land to the AAI, the expansion work could not be completed.

Several foreign airline companies were ready to operate services to Coimbatore and ICCI had also held discussions with them in this regard. But the wide-bodied aircrafts could be operated only after the runway was expanded.

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