With the demand for land to launch new industries on the raise, the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamilnadu Ltd (SIPCOT) is eyeing on exploring land allocated for companies but has been remaining unutilised for years.
As part of the move, SIPCOT on Monday launched GIS mapping of land with drones at the IT park in Siruseri here.
The drone will carry out a survey of assets in the IT park spread over an area of 800 acres. SIPCOT sources said that the drone would take aerial pictures of land parcels over which buildings have been constructed and locations that are lying vacant.
“As per industries department policy, a firm has to commence construction within six months of allocation of land and start production in three years period. But several companies are sitting on land parcels for years under the garb of kickstarting their operations leaving the earmarked land idle,” an official said.
Meanwhile, other companies are seeking land for their new projects in SIPCOT industrial parks. “While acquisition of land has become a tedious and expensive process for new industrial parks, firms are holding land without launching their projects. Henceforth, the drone exercise is to identify the quantum of land that is not utilised by these industries,” the official added.
SIPCOT has 21 industrial parks and seven special economic zones spread over an area of 32,000 acres in different parts of the state.
Of these, eight parks are situated near Chennai. They are Siruseri in Chengalpet district, Sriperumbudur, Irungattukottai, Pillaipakkam, Orgadam and Vallam-Vadagal in Kancheepuram district and Gummidipoondi and Thervoykandigai at Tiruvallur district.
According to official sources, around 90% of land in these industrial parks have already been allocated for various industries and firms. SIPCOT is leasing out land for a period of 99 years.
The drone survey would be executed in all the 21 industrial parks.
