ALAPPUZHA: The Union Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar has said industries in the decentralised sector should enter into agreements with big business houses and large public

sector units for comprehensive development. "The coir sector in the State should also consider such a step," he said.

He was addressing a press conference at Muhamma in Mararikulam constituency after releasing a copy of the project for the development of villages, in the constituency lying on the banks of Vembanad lake. Mr. Aiyar said his ministry, under the direction of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had initiated

talks with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) for cooperation between rural business hubs and big industries. He said 32 MOUs had already been signed in this regard.

The Minister said the industries in decentralised sector would get an opportunity to better the quality of their products by getting technical knowledge from big business houses. The big companies would also help the decentralised sector to diversify their products and to find new markets.

Big business houses could be either big private companies or profit making large public sector units, the Minister said. Mr. Aiyar said products from the decentralised sector should be able to gain a world market. He said he would hold discussions with State Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Issac at Thiruvanamthapuram shortly to draft a policy on how to gain a world market for products from decentralised production sectors.

Representatives of rural business hubs would also participate in the meeting, Mr. Aiyar said.

The Union Minister said decentralised coir products manufacturing units in the State including the coir clusters in Mararikulam could consider tie ups with big export houses for diversifying their products, upgrading their technology and finding new markets for their products.

On a question regarding the opinion of small-scale coir producers and coir workers that the Central and State Governments should help the decentralised production sector directly, Mr. Aiyar said he was only placing a suggestion and if the State Government could directly invest in the sector, he would not oppose it. He said the Government was at present withdrawing itself from many sectors and was taking up the role of a facilitator. In Bengal it had happened, he said.

Mr. Aiyar said he had received a memorandum from UDF leaders in Mararikulam

on the negative aspects of the development projects being implemented in Mararikulam and added that he had handed it over to Mr. Isaac who was also the MLA from the constituency.

The Minister said he did not have the power to investigate into the issue and it was for Mr. Isaac to take appropriate action.

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