Kerala - Alappuzha   

Centre ready to help coir sector, says Minister

Staff Reporter

Mahabir Prasad launches Alappuzha Coir Cluster Development Project

HELPING HAND: Union Minister for Agro and Rural Industries Mahabir Prasad at a coir industry exhibition organised as part of the launch of the Alappuzha Coir Cluster Development Project in Alappuzha on Saturday. - Photo: Johney Thomas

ALAPPUZHA: : The Union Government is ready to help the State for the overall development of coir industry if the State Government submitted such projects, Union Minister for Small Scale Industries, Agriculture and Rural Industries Mahabir Prasad has said.

Launching the Alappuzha Coir Cluster Development Project of the Coir Board at the Central Coir Research Institute, Kalavoor on Saturday, Mr. Prasad said the State Government should take care to ensure that the projects submitted for help should match the parameters fixed by the Centre for providing aid.

Mr. Prasad said when the Centre allotted aid to 100 cluster-based projects, 25 projects were selected from the coir sector. Another 25 projects were selected from the Khadi and Village Industries sector and another 25 projects were selected from the rural industries sector for giving aid. Mr. Prasad said the declared policy of the Centre was to promote those industries, which provided jobs to women and depressed classes, and the coir industry belonged to such a group.

He said the coir industry should take steps not only to increase the quantity of production but also to improve the quality of the products. The Centre would provide all help for it, he said.

Employment potential

Mr. Prasad said the aim of the Centre was to provide jobs to the unemployed, and the coir sector had the potential to end unemployment in the State.

Coir Board chairman A.C. Jose said there had been a slight slump in the exports of coir products from the country during the current fiscal. That was because of the various natural calamities that had hit many countries, he said.]

Those who spoke at the function included Agriculture Minister K.R. Gouri, Tourism Minister K.C. Venugopal and K.S. Manoj, MP. Mr. Venugopal launched the programme for husk collection through Kudumbasree units.

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Centre ready to help coir sector, says Minister

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