HYDERABAD, Feb 2: Industrialists will soon have a powerloom zone and a garment city on 500 acres plus 60 megawatt electricity generation unit in the SITE area, said Sindh Industry and Commerce Secretary Ali Ahmed Lund.

He gave this assurance to Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry members while visiting the chamber’s secretariat here on Monday. He said that work on 31km long pipeline had begun for water supply to Nooriabad industrial estate at the cost of Rs1.6 billion while work on Hyderabad, Kotri and Sukkur water schemes would start shortly.

Commerce secretary further revealed of expansion of Tando Adam, Hala and Shahdadpur industrial estates and reactivation of Nasarpur training centre.

Water treatment plants would be installed in Hyderabad and Kotri SITE areas, he said and promised of taking into confidence the HCCI during industrial plot allotment and in the development of industrial area.

The property tax recovery issue would be decided by the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate Limited, he said.

The secretary directed the SITE’s Estate Engineer for submitting the PC-I for pumping station generator and Hill Park renovation for the government approval.

MNA Salahuddin said that the city lacks economic development as there was no dearth of experienced entrepreneurs and trained manpower.

Providing jobs to all were not possible for the government therefore it was keen on developing private sector, he said. Hyderabad’s powerloom was of high quality and being exported to different countries he said adding that bangles, footwear and handicraft were not behind it. Kunri was already enjoying the status of being the biggest chili market in Asia, the MNA said.

President HCCI Shafiq Ahmed Qureshi in the welcome address underlined the need of resolving issues of industrial area as in the absence of required facilities Hyderabad and Kotri zones were being retarded.

He urged industrial plots allotment on Chamber’s recommendation, termed recovery of property tax as ‘great injustice’ and complained of crumbling water supply system of SITE area.

He demanded modernised water supply system, installation of standby generator at the SITE pumping station and removal of encroachment from the area.