Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday suggested that Government of India Presses (GIP) in Kerala and Karnataka be merged with the one in Coimbatore, saying it will ensure the continued presence of such a press in South India.
Chief Minister K Palanisamy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that a cabinet approval recently on rationalisation/merger of GIPs "would mean that the GIP located at Coimbatore would be closed."
"It is understood that the rationalisation/merger of GIPs and their modernisation has been approved by the (union) cabinet and this would mean that the GIP located at Coimbatore would be closed," he said.
"Coimbatore GIP has job orders for next 4 years, skilled labour and land measuring 132.7 acres. Hence, it would be appropriate to retain the GIP at Coimbatore by merging the presses in Karnataka and Kerala into the one at Coimbatore, which would ensure continued presence of a GIP in South India," he said in a letter, released by the state government.
Palanisamy recalled that he had earlier taken up the matter with Modi and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
