india

Updated: Sep 18, 2019 18:36 IST

The ambitious Chennai-Bengaluru industrial corridor will be extended to Kochi via Coimbatore, said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday. He said the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust has informed the state government that the union government approved the extension of the corridor.

“When different industrial corridors were announced, the state was left out. We have been putting the pressure on the government for some time. We are happy, finally, the union government agreed to our demand,” the Chief Minister said.

He said one of the two integrated manufacturing clusters (IMC) developed as part of the corridor will be in Palakkad and the second one will be in Salem in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. He said for the IMC at least 2000 acres of land was needed but considering the paucity of land in the state it will be reduced to 1800 acres. Out of 1800 acres, the government owned a sizeable chunk in Palakkad and rest will be acquired on priority basis, he said. The cluster will be part of the special economic zone.

State principal secretary industries K Elangovan said the state will include food processing units, electronic manufacturing joints, farm-based industry and traditional manufacturing units in the proposed cluster. He said at least 10,000 new jobs will be created in the state. The Cochin Port Trust has also evinced keen interest in the project. Coimbatore, being a manufacturing hub, will help increase cargo volume in the port. Lately, the government is giving much emphasis on coastal shipping of goods to decongest road and rail movement.