The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Develop Pudukottai on industrial front: Minister

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Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Develop Pudukottai on industrial front: Minister

Staff Reporter

Small, medium units urged to make best use of sops

— Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

Valuable help: S. Regupathy, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests, second from left, giving away assistance to a sericulturist in Pudukottai on Tuesday.

PUDUKOTTAI: Entrepreneurs of Pudukottai should make efforts to mould the district into an industrially developed zone by taking maximum advantage of the concessions being extended by the State government to small and medium sector industries, said the Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests S. Regupathy.

Speaking at a function to mark the inaugural of the Tamil Nadu Industrial Co-operative (TAICO) Bank’s branch here on Tuesday, Mr. Regupathy expressed concern over the industrial backwardness of the district for a long period, despite various efforts made by the State government. The opening of the TAICO branch in the town, he said, was yet another attempt to promote industrialisation.

The conversion of the Tiruchi and Manamadurai section into broad gauge in a record time of three years was also expected to spur industrial growth.

The Minister assured the entrepreneurs that he would extend all assistance to budding entrepreneurs. The district has a large number of engineering and higher educational colleges and industrialisation would generate employment opportunities for skilled youths in course of time.

Genuine entrepreneurs

The District Panchayat president C. Muthusamy appealed to the TAICO bank officials to identify genuine entrepreneurs with a commitment for the welfare and development of the district.

The Member of the District Advisory Committee for Non-Conventional Energy Resources, Periyannan Arasu, pleaded for setting up an industrial estate in the district exclusively to cater to the needs of small and medium enterprises.

Credit flow negligible

The Collector Reeta Harish Thakkar said that the credit flow from the banks in the district for industrial sector had been very negligible. She hoped that the TAICO Bank’s branch would cater to the needs of both entrepreneurs and the suppressed classes in the district.

The Special Officer of the TAICO Bank, V.L. Manivannanar said that this was the 34-th branch in the state. The bank has initiated efforts in the past couple of years to start one branch in every district.

Subsidy

The Minister gave away subsidy kit worth Rs.30,000 to 20 sericulturists on the occasion.

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