KOZHIKODE: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan assured industrialists from Kerala that the new industrial policy to be announced this year will incorporate suggestions to transform the state into an industry friendly one. Inaugurating the 8th edition of the industrial expo ‘Rising Kerala’ at HiLite auditorium, Palazhy on Saturday, Mr Vijayan said that filing applications for licence to start an industrial unit would move online soon.
All the procedures to begin an industrial unit will also be eased, he said while adding that at present it is tough to start an industrial unit in the state. “Now everybody has a feeling that red-tapism on movement of files should end. The feeling itself is a good change,” he opined. “A single window system will be announced soon. It will bring transparency and make acquiring a licence easy,” he added.
On the demand by industrialists to make land available for starting new industrial units, Mr Vijayan said that plans are afoot to introduce a Land Management System by which the available land will be taken over by the state and distributed among deserving entrepreneurs. On the tussle between local administrative bodies and entrepreneurs Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that there should be an industry friendly situation at local level.
“If there is a problem between an industrial unit and a local administrative body by way of complaints from public or other departments, all concerned should ensure that the industrial unit continues to function after issues are sorted out. There are several complaints that if there is a complaint against an industrial unit, the concerned authority all of a sudden initiates action against it even without any verification of the veracity of complaint, which should not happen in future," he added. The three-day Rising Kerala industrial expo will begin on December 9.
Expo to have 320 stalls
The Rising Kerala industrial expo scheduled to begin on December 9 will have 320 stalls with focus on improving technology and educating industrial community on the emerging trends in industry. The sectors targeted this year are footwear, food production, engineering, wood industry, IT and construction. Noushad V.K.C., general convener of the expo said that there would be live shows on plastic waste management.
"We are ensuring a space for waste management as it is equally important," Mr
Noushad said. "The event will have stalls of many overseas companies for whom the exhibition is a potential annual sales joint," he added. The series of seminars organised heralding the event have helped in increasing the reach of the exhibition to all strata of society, Mr Noushad said. The IT seminar organised in connection with Rising Kerala exhibition will be held on Monday. A motivation session by noted motivational trainer Madhu Bhaskar also was held on Saturday.
