CHENNAI: Three thousand and five hundred acres of land belonging to Small Industries Development Corporation (SIDCO) are yet to get pattas and the government has formed a committee under the Chief Secretary to look into it, said Rural Industries Minister TM Anbarasan.
He was speaking at the inauguration of India’s premier international machine tools expo ACMEE 2021, organised by the Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers Association (AIEMA). The five-day expo, under the theme ‘Smart Manufacturing’, was inaugurated by Industries Minister Thangam Thenarasu and Anbarasan after Chief Minister MK Stalin had to rush to Coonoor to pay his last respects to Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat.
Anbarasan also said the land was acquired on an ‘enter upon’ clause without patta. “We are planning to get the patta and distribute it to those who brought the land in the next two to three months,” said Anbarasan.
Delivering his inaugural address, the Industries Minister highlighted how small industries laid the foundation for the State, which has now emerged as the second largest economy in the country, while hailing MSMEs for adopting the latest technologies in manufacturing.
Later, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, the minister said the site for the second airport is yet to be finalised. “We are in the process of identifying a few and the Airport Authority of India will inspect them. After their inspection and clearance, we will go about it,” said Industries Minister.
Ford acquisition plans
On acquisition of Ford’s Chennai unit, he said not only Tata Motors but also other firms have evinced keen interest. “It is too early to give the details of the industries with which we are holding talks,” said the minister. This comes after Tata Motors officials had visited the Ford plant twice.
To a query on the defence corridor, the minister said that the State government has given three to four proposals to the defence ministry. “We had an elaborate meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wherein the proposals were examined. They are under active consideration. We hope to get clearance,” said Thenarasu.
Covering 18,000 square metres of display space at Chennai Trade Centre, ACMEE 2021 is spread over the convention centre and five halls, with 405 companies participating. These also include 100 foreign firms.