Small and medium-scale industries face big problems

Rajesh Kumar, a 55-year-old entrepreneur, who had set up an auto component manufacturing unit in Peenya Industrial Area in North Bengaluru, had to shut it down in August 2022 following severe loss in business, especially after COVID-19 pandemic. Civic infrastructure deficiencies Once considered to be southeast Asia’s oldest and largest industrial area, Peenya has also been grappling with civic mismanagement issues in the last few years. The Electronics City Industrial Association came much after Peenya but became a township long ago and Peenya is still waiting for it,” said Mr. Manjunath. “As Asia’s largest industrial zone, Peenya Industrial Area has a pre-eminent status, and the government should expedite the formalities involved in converting it into a township authority, as this would give it a fair amount of autonomy which would go a long way in improving the maintaining the amenities and industrial infrastructure. As per the 74th amendment to the Constitution, once given township authority status, Peenya Industrial Area would be excluded from the jurisdiction of BBMP, which would inject much-needed freedom for the industries themselves to maintain the infrastructure on their own,” Mr. Manjunath explained.