MADURAI: At the public feedback meeting organised by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) of Madurai about the recent draft masterplan released for Madurai local planning area, the major demand from the industrial bodies was to increase the industrial land allocation from 4% to 14% in the local planning area.
Among the diverse suggestions received from industrial bodies such as MADITSSIA and the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industries, include an extension of the suggestion period from 40 days to two months. The meeting at the district collectorate office was chaired by district collector M S Sangeetha on Wednesday.
Rm Lakshminarayanan, president of MADITSSIA, emphasized the inadequate land allocation to the industrial sector, stating, “We have persistently advocated for a 14% land allocation, yet we have only received 4%, which is insufficient.” P S Manju, assistant director of DTCP, acknowledged the underutilization of previously allocated industrial land and explained that growth trends were factored into the revised allocation.
MADITSSIA members also proposed allocating more land in the Tuticorin-Madurai industrial corridor and considering land allocation for tiny industries in the Jaihindpuram area within the Madurai Corporation.
Members of the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industries expressed the view that many industrialists and commercial landholders were unaware of the new masterplan. They urged the LPA to extend the suggestion window to two months. J Selvam, vice-president of TNCCI, remarked, “Even this meeting was not properly communicated to us, and with around 5,500 members in the TNCCI, we need time to make them aware of the draft plan provisions and provide detailed suggestions.” In response, the district collector said that we are given a stipulated time to submit the plan and it is tough to get an extension.CREDAI members raised concerns about reviewing certain mixed land-use areas labelled as agricultural land in the draft masterplan.
“Many real estate developers have pooled significant land parcels in the LPA, considering the last masterplan, which is now designated as agricultural land in the new plan,” S R Muthu Vijayan, president of CREDAI Madurai, said. CREDAI members also sought an increase in residential area allocation in the land use plan.
Some academicians suggested incorporating the knowledge economy into the masterplan, addressing the future job needs of the youth. Muthu Raja, an economics professor from American College, emphasized, “The masterplan is currently more supply-driven, and we need to consider specific demands, including job creation and upskilling the city’s youth, given the increasing population.”
Various stakeholders voiced suggestions such as enhancing the tourism sector, alleviating city road congestion, and improving waste management.
The assistant director of DTCP, Madurai, highlighted that once these suggestions are integrated, the plan will be submitted for state government approval, a process anticipated to take two to three months after the suggestion window closes.
