The Hindu : Traditional industries dying in State: Nayanar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 13, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Traditional industries dying in State: Nayanar

By Our Staff Reporter

KANNUR SEPT. 12. The former Chief Minister, E.K. Nayanar, has said that the State will soon become a graveyard of traditional industries as the policies being pursued by the State and Central Governments have already hit the traditional sectors.

Inaugurating a rally organised by the Kerala State Toddy Tapping Workers' Federation (CITU) here today to mark the culmination of its two-day State conference, Mr. Nayanar said the State was unlikely to record any industrial growth with a revenue deficit of Rs. 4,700 crores.

He said the Tenth Five Year Plan of the State also proved a fiasco. He urged workers in the traditional sector, including toddy-tapping, to put up strong resistance to save the State.

He asked workers in the toddy-tapping sector to fight for the re-introduction of the system of distribution and sale of liquor and toddy through cooperative societies of workers. The LDF Government had introduced the cooperative system to provide good quality toddy and liquor to consumers, Mr. Nayanar said. The State was now being flooded with liquor and arrack smuggled from neighbouring States, he said.

The federation State president, P.V. Balagopalan, presided over the function. The MLAs, T.K. Balan and M.V. Govindan, were also present at the function.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States