Thursday, September 18, 2008

Coimbatore Tidel Park to be ready by september 2009

Tidel Park in Coimbatore is expected to be ready for occupation by September 2009.

According to an official source, the park, which is a joint venture of the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation, Software Technology Parks of India and Tidel, will offer warm and fit-out shells for occupation on short-term and long term lease.

Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi laid the foundation for the park here in February 2007. With the construction rates escalating, the project cost was recently revised to Rs. 370 crore (from the earlier projection of about Rs. 335 crore) and works had started at the site.

The official told that the park would have a total built-up area of 17 lakh sq.ft. Of this, the IT floor area would be 9.14 lakh sq ft. Office space would be available in various modules in each floor for a lease period of three to 15 years. Booking of space had just commenced and the initial offer was Rs. 30 a month for a sq ft in the case of short-term lease and an one-time payment of Rs. 3,600 a sq ft for the 15-year lease.

Chamber presses for logistics park, mass transit system

A mass rapid transit system, a logistics park for the trade and industry and other sections and ring roads are among the projects that the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore is listing as among the key infrastructure requirements of Coimbatore.

Chamber president D. Balasundaram placed these requirements before Union Minister P. Chidambaram, who released the first chapter of the Coimbatore 2025 plan at the launch of the 80th anniversary celebrations of the chamber of commerce in the city on Sunday.

The first chapter contains the population forecast for 2025 the chamber has made, with the past and current demographic profile, the pattern of migration and the urbanisation rate forming its basis.

“We presented a wish list for Coimbatore in January. They key requirements are two ring roads to connect all the highways, a mass transit system of both buses and trains, expansion of the airport for direct flights to Europe and an integrated logistics park,” Mr. Balasundaram said, making a fresh appeal to the Central Government.

From about 45 lakh, the district’s population would rise to 68 lakh in 2025. There was a need to plan the infrastructure to meet the demands of all sections – from the trade and industry to the people. The chamber would involve experts in various fields and universities in formulation action plans as part of the Coimbatore 2025 initiative.

Mr. Chidambaram said that while the chamber of commerce pursued this plan, high growth on the industrial front in Coimbatore must also be achieved. “Coimbatore must be a centre for attracting investments. But, outsiders will invest in Coimbatore only if the local people did so.”

Bad time should not return to Coimbatore, he said, alluding to the serial blasts of February 1998 and its impact on the district’s economy. “It is now looking ahead,” he noted.