Punjab CM meets industry body on expired mixed land use policy

The Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisations (FICO) president met Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday to seek a permanent solution for industries in mixed land use (MLU) areas, as the policy expired on September 30. The MLU policy, introduced in 2008 for 10 years, received extensions in 2018 and 2023, but alternative industrial hubs were never fully developed. Around 10,000 units across 72 localities face potential regulatory action, with industrialists citing prohibitive relocation costs. FICO urged the government to declare established MLU pockets as official industrial zones and regularise existing units. The chief minister assured a timely resolution, while industrialists warn that shifting would disrupt production and threaten local employment.