Peenya industrial area to get a makeover

Peenya industrial area to get a makeover
Deccan Herald

Peenya industrial area, for long weighed down by its dismal infrastructure, is in for a make-over if a new Rs 26.35 crore project sanctioned for the area is an indication. To top the welcome plan, the initiative — along with part of the cost — has come from the industries themselves.

Of the total cost of the project, Peenya industrial units will be chipping in with Rs 3.95 crore, while the rest will be covered by the Central (Rs 19.75 crore) and State (Rs 2.65 crore) governments.

Speaking to Deccan Herald on Tuesday, R Prithviraj, Chairman, Peenya Infrastructure Corridor Upgradation Project (PICUP), said the project would be kicked off on Saturday when a token contribution of Rs one crore is handed over by the units to Industries and Infrastructure Minister P G R Sindhia.

“The initiative has materialised following the Central government’s Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (IIUS), which involves local industrial associations as well. Along with the Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers Association (IMTMA), we made a presentation to the government, following which the project was given the go-ahead,” said Prithviraj.

As per the plan, IMTMA will be given Rs 30 crore for opening a centre of excellence and convention hall near Peenya. PICUP will be responsible for the upgradation of infrastructure within Peenya. “As per the initial plan, the industrial units were expected to contribute 25 per cent of the initial budget of Rs 20 crore.

However, after we found it tough to generate such funds from among ourselves, the Karnataka government offered an additional 10 per cent of the cost and the budget was revised,” said Prithviraj.

The scheme, which is monitored by the Department of Industrial Policies and Promotion attached to the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, will involve nine components, including roads, street lights and green initiatives.

Road to better times

Around 72 per cent of the project cost will be spent on roads.

“For such a vast industrial area, it’s a shame that the roads are in an abysmal shape. We’ll be focusing on the roads a great deal and once the costing pattern is further streamlined, we’ll publish the details in the media and our website,” said Prithviraj.

Adequate land has been sanctioned and consultants for the work have been finalised, he said and added that the year could finally see the long-due transformation of the area, home to around 2,500 companies, employing nearly 3.5 lakh workers.

Scheme: Industrial Infrastructure

Upgradation Scheme

Budget: Rs 26.35 crore

Launch: January 21

New Year Package

*New roads

* Streetlights

* Bus stops/shelters

* Solid waste management

(in KIADB’s five-acre plot)

* Green initiatives

(including park in three- acre KIADB land)

* Common tool room

* Material testing laboratory

* Centre for entrepreneural excellence

* Info and Marketing help centre

* Working women’s hostel

* Child care centre and creche