The Hindu : Front Page : Common facility centres for Tiruchi

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Saturday, Jan 23, 2010
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Common facility centres for Tiruchi

R. Krishnamoorthy

TIRUCHI: The State Industries department has identified three industry clusters in Tiruchi district for creation of Common Facility Centres, utilising the scheme of 75 per cent grant from the Union Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

In-principle agreement has already been accorded to the proposal for a CFC forwarded by the BHEL Small Industries’ Association (BHELSIA). The one for fabrication cluster figures among the 30 CFCs sanctioned by the MSME Ministry for Tamil Nadu, according to B. Baskaran, General Manager, District Industries Centre.

The BHELSIA that has membership of a majority of the 360 vendors of BHEL, Tiruchi, is ready with suitable land for establishing the CFC, according to its president Rajappa Rajkumar. The association is prepared to invest 25 per cent of the project cost for the CFC.

Cost-competitiveness and high quality of products are the main advantages that will accrue to member units from Common Facility Centre that is to be implemented by UNIDO (United Nations Industries Development Organisation) based at New Delhi.

Through installation of very expensive testing devices that are beyond the means or viability of individual units at the proposed CFC, the scope for infusing export quality into the product will be enlarged, industrialists hope. BHELSIA’s proposal will be routed to the Central Ministry through the State Government in a month’s time, it is learnt.

‘Korai’ mat weaving and gem cutting are the other two cluster activities for which the State industries department has identified the necessity for CFCs.

Mat weaving with easily available ‘korai’ grass is a common vocation in and around Musiri.

Quality in focus

A focus on quality matching international standards could be achieved for the purpose of export through creation of a CFC for the cluster. Likewise, the CFC for gem-cutting industry will lead to installation of equipment and machinery for common use in order to meet international standards, and pave way for revival of the industry.

For these two CFCs, the implementing agencies will be SIPPO (Small Industries Product Promotion Organisation) and ITCOT (Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation of Tamil Nadu Limited) respectively.

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