Tamil Nadu Appalam Vadagam Mor Vathal Sangam State President Dr. K. Thirumurugan and Integrated Appalam Council Managing Director Chandru Shanmugamoorthy jointly met Commissioner of Industries and Director of Industries and Commerce Dr. P. Umanath, IAS, and Commissioner and Director of Town and Country Planning Kiran Gurdala, IAS, and submitted separate petitions.
Rs. 6.83-Crore Project; Rs. 4.65-Crore Government Grant
The Appalam Cluster Common Facility Centre is proposed to be established on 2.19 acres of land in Viradhanur in Madurai South Taluk.
The total project cost is Rs. 683.25 lakh (around Rs. 6.83 crore), of which Rs. 465.29 lakh (around Rs. 4.65 crore) has been allocated as a government grant by the Tamil Nadu government.
The common facility centre is expected to provide modern technological and common production facilities to at least 100 appalam manufacturing units. It is also expected to support around 10,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities in Madurai's appalam industry, with increased employment and entrepreneurial opportunities particularly for women.
Request to Expedite Land-Use Conversion
An application has already been submitted to convert the 2.19-acre land at Viradhanur from agricultural use to industrial use. The Madurai District Town and Country Planning Office has also forwarded its recommendation to the DTCP.
The representatives urged the authorities to complete the final procedures for land-use conversion at the earliest and grant the necessary approval to commence the next stage of the project. They also assured the officials that any additional documents or clarifications required regarding the land details would be provided immediately.
The representatives said the main objective of the meeting was to ensure that the government-approved appalam cluster project is implemented without delay and contributes to the growth of the appalam industry in Madurai, while benefiting businesses and creating employment opportunities.