Mangaluru: Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has appealed to the Union Government to develop Mangaluru-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (MBIC).
In a letter to the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, which was released to the media on Friday, president of the KCCI Shashidhar Pai Maroor said that the chamber has learnt that the government has approved the development of 11 industrial corridors with 32 projects to be developed in four phases in the country as part of the National Industrial Corridor Programme (NICP) which are under various stages of conceptualisation/development /implementation.
He said that the MBIC can connect New Mangalore Port with Bengaluru and other hinterland districts, including Hassan and Bengaluru Rural, through National Highway 75.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is already working on the Shiradi Ghat Tunnel Project (23.6 km).
In a few years, the distance between Mangaluru Bengaluru is expected to be covered on road within six hours.
The presence of New Mangalore Port, an all-weather deep-draft seaport with capability and experience to handle cargo of volume and diversity on this corridor, will further boost EXIM trade in this region.
Further, the Mangaluru International Airport, which operates direct flights to West Asian countries, has not reached its full potential in export cargo. Perishable goods from the hinterland can be exported via the airport.
Similarly, the hinterland will have the advantage of the railway hub in Mangaluru which has frequent trains to Kerala and Maharashtra and beyond.
“The MBIC has a huge potential for the unparalleled economic development of the State, creating large employment opportunities and helping towards overall socio-economic development,” he said.
The development of this corridor will give a boost to the Prime Minister’s vision to enhance export from every district.
It will give a boost to small-scale industrial activities in these districts and boost the State’s share of exports, the letter said.
Tunnel project
It may be mentioned here that Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Jairam Gadkari told the Rajya Sabha on December 22 that a detailed project report (DPR) on the Shiradi Ghat tunnel project is not yet ready.
Replying to an unstarred question by Narayana Koragappa, the Minister said that initially, Public Works Department, Karnataka, started the work of preparing the DPR for the Shiradi Ghat bypass. Subsequently, the DPR was transferred to the NHAI. The bidding stage and tenders will take place after the DPR is ready, the Minister said.