HYDERABAD
Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) president Adeel Siddiqui on Sunday expressed concerns over deteriorating civic infrastructure of SITE which was affecting industrial activity especially transportation of raw material to factories and industries.
He disclosed that industrialists were shifting their capital to other cities from Hyderabad due to poor civic infrastructure and other related issues affecting their industrial activities.
In a statement, Adeel said that industrialists of Hyderabad SITE not only deal in the local market but also meet orders for exports.
He said industrialists had invested billions of rupees in their industries and they were paying regular bills for electricity, gas and other amenities.
Besides, he said, these industries were a source of employment for thousands.
Adeel regretted that due to the apathy of the SITE management and delay in de-silting of sewerage lines, rainwater accumulated on roads was destroying road infrastructure.
He said that rainwater was also entering industries, forcing mill and factory owners to utilize their own resources to de-water their areas.
He said the SITE management did not take any steps for rainwater disposal.
He said many industries were facing water shortage while unannounced load shedding of electricity and gas was affecting industries badly. Nonexistence of street lights on roads not only affect transport of goods but also the movement of workers, he added.
HCCI chief said that out of 1300 big or small units, hardly 800 were employed in industrial production in spite of the fact that cost of production had increased manifold due to rising electricity and gas tariffs.
He said that the Hyderabad SITE was the largest area of Pakistan that was busy assembling automobiles until recently but now the production capacity had dropped to 60 per cent. Adeel underscored the need for re-building civic infrastructure in the SITE area as soon as possible so that industrial activity could be revived.
He urged the government to take urgent measures in this regard. He also expressed his anguish over the SITE management’s performance, saying industrialists had deposited Rs 2,55,68,000 in 2009 for getting plots in SITE Phase-II but allotment orders of plots were not yet given.
He said that industrialists should be compensated for this loss as soon as possible. Agencies
