TUMAKURU:SHAKTHIPEETA FOUNDATION
We are all aware that Transportation plays most important factor in supporting economic activities and as well as providing opportunities for economic development. In this context Freight terminals integrated with multiple services with enhanced logistic capabilities for continuous Supply chain plays important role. Here comes “Freight Village Concept” for discussion. As of now this new concept is borrowed from the European countries with changes to suit Indian logistic models now existing.
Let us discuss – What is Freight village for India means?, the answer is that -To support the activities relating to transport, logistics and the distribution of goods both for national and international transit and will also contain state-of-the-art facilities integrating core logistics infrastructure with a host of allied services to make logistics operations faster, cheaper and more efficient. This model is estimated to generate over 4,000 direct and 6,000 indirect jobs also. The Freight Village with single point solution to all logistic requirements and but this is not a conventional terminal facilities now offering, it will have standard container handling activities, a number of essential auxiliary services such as warehouses, office spaces,customs, maintenance workshops, insurance, banking and other services.
Adding to the above, the Freight Village also have many strategic advantages: a single-point solution to all logistics need like loading, aggregation, packaging and storage with value added services, including real-time freight tracking and data analysis and also brings the employment and efficiency benefits of such a facility across the entire logistics supply chain. The end-result will be an enormous boost to the economy in terms of exports increase, reduced fuel and transportation costs, lower pollution, faster operations, and last mile connectivity from ports to the hinterlands/Dry ports with significantly reducing the last-mile connectivity costs. This will also connects Railways, Highways, Inland water ways terminals and also total logistic solution to the Industries located at various Industrial corridors now under execution across India for non stop supply chain. This will also helps regional FMCG and for the Mega cities, it will serve as distribution centre and point of transfer between long distance transport system and short distance distribution with delivery vans.
. Let us see where it is planned as of now-Now it is planned to establish two Freight Village hubs one at Varanasi in the Eastern freight corridor and another at Nangal Chaudary –Haryana under the Delhi Mumbai Industrial corridor. National Industrial Corridor Development & Implementation Trust [NICDIT] is working on this project.
. Let us discuss is there any feasibility to get one such Freight village concept hub Under the CBIC and is any scope of getting the same at Tumkur Industrial Node. .Under CBIC three Industrial node has been planned and also under execution, they are Krishna patnam in Andhra, Ponneri in TamailNaadu and Tumkur Industrial node in Karnataka , these Nodes is to focus mainly on creation of infrastructure for the establishment of small, medium, and large-scale enterprises and residential and commercial development. The CBIC will spur manufacturing, industrial development along the corridor, and will be instrumental in creating new jobs.
Advantageous of .Tumkur Industrial node under CBCIC – It is in the alignment of the of the Tumkur- Davanagere under execution Rail corridor and six lane Chennai-Bangalore-Mumbai National highway is passing adjacent to it. Equal distance from key ports Mangalore & Chennai and proximity to Industrial Centers of Tumkur/Bangalore/Chitradurg districts, Hindupur IA of AP compared to other Industrial nodes., hence will lower cost of supplying goods – faster freight operations & removal of multiple handling costs. This Industrial hub is supposed to have dedicated Logistic Park under master planning of NIMZ, hence advantageous. Tumkur Industrial node is also be Dry port point connecting hinterland with port facilities Nava Mangalore Port and Chennai Port. . Further under planning Bangalore –Mumbai economic corridor is also touches this node. As such Tumkur industrial node is natural choice to contain Freight Village. .
. Finally let us see any attempts have been made to secure one such Freight Village concept Hub under Chennai –Bengaluru- Chitradurga Industrial Corridor [CBCIC] regarding Tumkur Industrial node. It is noted Sri G.S.Basavaraj as a former MP ,during August 2018 and again in the year July 2019 as a member of Parliament, has urged Ministry of Commerce GOI, to develop “Freight Village” concept Multi modal Logistics hub at Tumkur Industrial node {Karnataka] through GOI’s implementing agency-National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementing Trust [NICDIT] explaining the advantageous of this location. In reply to MP G.S.Basavaraj demand for setting up of Freight village, Union Commerce Minister sri Piyush Goyal has replied on 09/12/2019, stating that the Freight village concept Logistic Hub is planned to establish under phase 2 of the Tumkur industrial node project by the NIDICT. As of now under NIMZ -Tumakuru Industrial node Area (1,736 acres) in Karnataka under CBIC has been approved by the NICDIT and approval from Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs is being sought. The DIPP has already initiated action plan for First phase implementation by 2021, Hence it is to be seen whether Tumkur Industrial node will get much talked “Freight Village/Logistic hub facilities at least by 2022.
T.R.Raghothama Rao
