Industries Minister Elamaram Karim has said that a master plan will be prepared for the industrial development of areas near the proposed Kannur airport as Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) has accelerated the process of acquiring land for the airport near Mattannur here.
The Minister told reporters here on Thursday that the government’s plan was to ensure parallel development of industries in areas closer to the proposed airport which could attract investors and entrepreneurs.
A green field airport such as the one proposed in Kannur might not be viable initially unless there was increased industrial and economic activities that would attract more air passengers, he said adding that the process of acquiring 200 acres of land near the proposed airport was under way.
The Minister said that Kinfra would complete the acquisition of land for the airport by January next year. A proposal for appointing a consultant for preparing the master plan was under consideration, he said.Freight station
Listing various developmental projects in the pipeline in the district, Mr. Kareem said that the container freight station sanctioned here by the Central government would be a major push for the region’s development. Its foundation stone would be laid this month, he said. The process of allotment of land at the Textile Park at Nadukani here to entrepreneurs would begin by October, he announced. NIFT campus
The work for developing the campus of the National Institute of Fashion Technology Centre here would start this year as the government had already made budgetary allocation of Rs. 20 crore. The construction would be completed in two year, he added.
Mr. Karim said that the construction of a road to Valiyavelicham near Koothuparamba that was nearing completion would attract more entrepreneurs at the Kerala Industrial Development Corporation’s industrial park there. The government was also considering a proposal for developing an industrial park in Taliparamba and Payyannur areas, he said