The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Small units' plea to Chief Minister

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 15, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Small units' plea to Chief Minister

Staff Reporter

"Continue the good work done during previous tenures"

CHENNAI: Small-scale industrial units in Tamil Nadu want the new Government, which assumed office on Saturday, to address issues threatening their survival, the foremost being industrial sickness, on a war-footing. The units were looking to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to provide relief and introduce measures similar to the "path breaking and epoch-making initiatives" taken during his previous tenures.

Congratulating him on assuming office, D.E. Ramakrishnan, president, National Confederation of Small Industry, said Mr. Karunanidhi was instrumental in setting up of Small Industries Development Corporation, industrial estates such as the Vikram Sarabhai Estate for electrical and electronics units and the Cuddalore chemical complex.

Similar initiatives were necessary to revive the sector, which, he said, was being edged out in the wake of liberalisation and yearned for more support from banks and financial institutions. Measures to spur the growth of the small and tiny enterprises was important, given that they had the potential to generate large employment opportunities and contributed significantly to the exchequer by way of taxes.

Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Ramakrishnan said small and tiny enterprises, despite the challenges, played an important role in the economy.

They provided employment to lakhs of people, served as a backbone to large industries and had a decent share in the total exports of the country. But what was important was its potential to perform better if supported by a right mix of policy initiatives.

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