Extend industrial corridor up to Coimbatore: TN to Centre

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday asked the Centre to extend the proposed Mumbai-Bengaluru industrial corridor up to Coimbatore, one of the fastest growing tier-II cities in the country.

In a memorandum submitted to the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman in Delhi, the Tamil Nadu Local Administration Minister S P Velumani said Coimbatore is the second largest city by area and population in the state after Chennai and the 16th largest urban agglomeration in the country.

Coimbatore district was industrially developed and one of the largest exporters of textiles, garments, hosiery, jewellery, wet grinder, poultry, machine tools and auto components, he said in the memorandum.

The airport here connects the people to various parts of the globe and with many domestic destinations, including Delhi, there has been demand from the business community that a daily flight service from Coimbatore to Delhi at around 7 AM to ensure easy and convenient daily trips to attend to their official business.

The industrialists, business community, professionals and tourists of western region of Tamil Nadu frequently visit Dubai, but face an ordeal of a longer route to reach Dubai, which causes loss of money and time, he said.

Therefore, he sought sanction for a daily flight service to Delhi in the early morning hours and an international flight to Dubai.

Since Coimbatore was a major industrial hub in South, Velumani said the proposed Mumbai-Bengaluru industrial corridor can be extended up to Coimbatore.