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SSIs: action on task force’s report soon

Thrissur: Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Dinsha J. Patel has said the Union government will soon initiate action on the report of a task force constituted under the directive of the Prime Minister to study problems faced by small-scale industries.

He was addressing a meeting to inaugurate a common facility centre for clay processing and testing set up by Terra Tiles Consortium Limited at Mundur, near here, on Monday.

“About six crore people are employed in 2.60 crore enterprises in the small industries sector. The sector accounts for 80 to 90 per cent of work force in the country, 45 per cent of production and 35 per cent of exports. The 11th Plan targets financial assistance of Rs.4,735 crore for this sector that will lead to generation of 37 lakh jobs,” he said.

He noted that assistance of $150 million from the Asian Development Bank would contribute to extensive growth of the khadi sector.

He said the Union government had approved under the Micro and Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP) proposals for setting up 12 Common Facility Centres in the State.

Of these, the CFC at Mundur is the third to begin operation, the others being those for a rubber industries cluster at Changanassery and a plastic industries cluster at Perumbavoor.

He stressed the need for quality control measures and state-of-the-art clay processing facilities for the 50-odd registered clay-based tile industry units.

The Union government has launched two cluster development projects, Micro and Small Industries Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP) and a Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) to make medium and small enterprises more competitive.

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