Chandigarh, Dec. 10 -- A three-member task force of senior IAS officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), led by Surendrakumar Bagde, met representatives of the industrial sector at the PHD Chamber in Sector 31 on Tuesday to discuss long-pending issues affecting businesses. During the meeting, industrial associations highlighted key concerns, including conversion of leasehold to freehold properties, misuse and violation notices, delays in fire NOCs, the need to raise the floor area ratio (FAR) in line with neighbouring states, and permission for MSME service activities within industrial areas. They also raised issues related to floor-wise property ownership. Industrialist Arun Mahajan said Bagde and his team listened attentively and sought clarifications to fully understand the challenges. "We discussed relevant acts and their implications for the industrial area. The focus was on measures to make MSMEs more viable and productive," he said. The task force will prepare a detailed report based on the concerns shared and submit it to the Union home secretary. Later, the team visited Phase 3, a 153-acre industrial zone near Raipur Kalan where development has been stalled for years. Despite being planned long ago, only three plots have been allotted-and even those remain undeveloped due to the lack of basic infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water supply. The UT administration has now finalised plans to auction 140 industrial plots in phases starting the first week of April next year. Industrialist Chander Verma said they have repeatedly raised these concerns but feel the administration has ignored them. "Today's discussion was fruitful, and we hope it leads to concrete action," he said. Laghu Udyog Bharti Chandigarh president Avi Bhasin added that the task force's visit would play a crucial role in resolving long-standing issues. "Industrialists explained their core problems clearly, and the task force now has a comprehensive understanding," he said....