Chiniot to Khurrianwala industrial corridor proposed
Photo: File
The Faisalabad Division Regional Plan, under the Regional Planning in Punjab, is a futuristic vision to transform Faisalabad into a scientifically planned industrial hub, according to Dr Khurram Tariq, president of the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI).
He held a meeting with Hasnain Ijaz, program manager of the Industrial Development Urban Unit Punjab.
Dr Khurram Tariq appreciated the presentation on Faisalabad Division Regional Plan and gave his input to further improve it according to the ground realities and future needs.
He proposed an industrial corridor from Chiniot to Khurrianwala and said that a dedicated industrial estate might also be established in close vicinity of the Aminpur Bangla Interchange along the M4 to accommodate the cottage and small industry currently housed in Ghulam Muhammad Abad and Faizabad.
He said that these proposals could be included in the Regional Plan for the Faisalabad Division.
Dr Khurram Tariq also expressed his concern over multiplicity of departments undertaking the same job which not only added financial burden on government exchequer but also created anomalies in the system in addition to creating problems for the industrialists.
“Such steps are counterproductive and against the spirit of ease of doing business,” he said and stressed the need for a long-term industrial strategy for comprehensive, organised and integrated industrial growth of this area.
Programme Manager Hasnain Ijaz briefed the FCCI president about the salient features of the proposed Faisalabad Division Regional Plan and said that he had already discussed the issue with Divisional Commissioner Shahid Niaz and Deputy Commissioner Imran Hamid Sheikh.
However, consultation with the FCCI as a major stakeholder was imperative to finalise it according to the laid down schedule. He said that secondary data had also been retrieved for the planning and designing, and now consultative meetings had been started to include the proposals of the stakeholders.
He said that textile apparel, chemicals, food, pharmaceutical, vendors and IT sectors had been identified for the future development of Faisalabad in addition to the textile sector.
Hasnain Ijaz also endorsed the proposal of industrial corridors for cottage and small industry and said that the growing units could be shifted to the planned industrial areas with the passage of time.
The meeting was also attended by Dr Sajjad Arshad, senior vice president of the FCCI, Ahmad Hassan, Muhammad Azhar Chaudhry, Muhammad Tayyab and Maqsood Butt.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 3rd, 2022.