Ludhiana News- CICU criticises ban on setting up new industries in Ludhiana city

Ludhiana, September 22, 2013: Avtar Singh, General Secretary and Upkar Singh Ahuja, Joint Secretary, Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU), Ludhiana criticised the decision of Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India for imposing ban on setting up of new industries in Ludhiana city vide Memorandum dated September 17 this year.  
They said setting up of new Industries closer to the city is dire need of the time”, adding Small and Medium are already going through a very crucial stage - as on the one side, there is no large industry near the city which helps bulk purchasing; and on the other side Ludhiana Master Plan which is valid till 2016 and which allows industries to operate in mix-land usage – is the concern for SMEs as their future is not clear.  
They added the strength of Ludhiana industry is; Small and Medium Units which are about 1,50,000 in the city.  With the passage of time, industries have not been able to grow and develop and has gone into pathetic stage.
Further, they said, if they take the example of Gurgaon Industries, which earlier was a small village and has now grown to as one the renowned world-wide Industrial City in the country with the setting up of Maruti Udyong and Hero Honda Motorcycle; large Industries in early 1980.  
They said the industry is not against environment protection and CICU is taking various steps from time to time by organising awareness programmes, workshops and Rain Harvesting Seminars etc.   They added these types of steps will ruin the all expectations of growth of Small and Medium Units.   They also reminded that once there was a time when Ludhiana was known as Manchester of India in the world; is now, going to be omitted from the map of globe day-by-day.
“CICU urges the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India to lift the ban immediately”, they asserted.