Pondicherry: Industries and Agriculture Minister V. Vaithilingam has announced that entrepreneurs setting up information technology, biotechnology or jewellery making units in the Union Territory would be given a subsidy of 25 per cent of the total investment. The subsidy would not exceed Rs.1 crore, he said.

Replying to members' views on demands for grants to industries, agriculture and electricity, animal husbandry in the Assembly here on Friday, Mr. Vaithilingam said that the Government would sanction 25 per cent of the total cost for setting up a mechanised laundry, beauty parlour, and hygienic structures to run tea or coffee stalls, as subsidy to facilitate self-employment. The Government-run Industries Promotion Development and Investment Corporation (PIPDIC) would sanction 75 per cent of the total cost of a car as loan to Government employees. Mr. Vaithilingam said a textile park would be set up to encourage knitwear production. A team from the South India Textile Research Association, Coimbatore, would visit Pondicherry shortly to study the technical features of the Government owned AFT Mills, Sri Bharathi and the Swadeshi Cotton Mills here.

The Government had earmarked Rs.1 crore to pay the full premium that farmers had to remit under crop insurance scheme. A subsidy of Rs. 50,000 per acre would be given spread over three years to enable farmers in Karaikal to raise cashew crop. Around 50 acres would be covered under the scheme. Credits would be made available to horticulture and vegetable cultivation. The Market Committee in Karaikal would soon disburse Rs.11 lakh due to the farmers under a special incentive scheme for paddy. Similarly Rs 2.5 crore due under the tsunami relief scheme for farmers, who had lost their farmlands, would also be given at the earliest.

Mr. Vaithilingam said that while Rs. 28 crore due as loan and interest from farmers to cooperative institutions would be written off, the question of waiver of loans borrowed from commercial banks would have to be considered by the central authorities as there were practical complexities.

A silk village would be created to produce saris and other silk garments. Veterinary doctors engaged on contract basis would get increased monthly emoluments of Rs 12,000 against Rs 10,000. Risk allowance to the veterinary staff would also be available ranging between Rs.200 and Rs.500 a month. Mr. Vaithilingam also announced that a Livestock Corporation would be set up soon to address the problems of dairy farmers.

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