The Hindu : Front Page : ‘Kerala lacking in infrastructure’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 21, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

‘Kerala lacking in infrastructure’

Special Correspondent

Chidambaram sees change in Left stand

Government should recognise role of private sector
Textile industry told to absorb new technology

KANNUR: Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has said that winds of change are blowing in the Left parties as they are beginning to realise the importance of making Kerala an economically strong State.

Addressing a gathering of people from business and industry after laying the foundation stone for the North Malabar Chamber of Commerce a building here on Sunday, the Minister said the State government had not for a long time reconciled to the idea of building roads under the toll method. It was important that it recognised the important role the private sector had to play in infrastructure development.

Pointing to the “woeful lack” of infrastructure in the State, Mr. Chidambaram said that Kerala was lagging behind other southern States in infrastructure. While Gujarat became a major maritime State, Kerala which had a long coast did not. He attributed Gujarat’s evolution as a major maritime State to its government’s policy of promoting private sector to develop ports. Some o the private ports in that State were bigger than public sector ports.

Observing that the textile sector had a glorious future, he urged the textile industry here to absorb new technology. Though Kannur was one of the major textile centres in the country, it had not found its true place it deserved because of the lack of infrastructure.

Mr. Chidambaram urged the chamber to do serious introspection on why no proposal had been submitted for setting up a project under the Scheme for Integrated Textile Project (SITP) in the State. The Union Minister called upon the apex bodies of chamber of commerce and industry to ask the cement and steel industries to roll back prices of steel and cement.

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

Front Page