The promoters of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) expect the new government to lay emphasis on establishing new industrial estates and areas under local self-government institutions, improvement of facilities in minor ports such as Beypore, Azheekkal, Kottayam, and Kollam, and incentivising MSME units that generate large employment opportunities.
In a brief note on the status of the MSMEs in the State, the Kerala State Small Industries Association (KSSIA) says the government should also build better infrastructure in industrial areas and on industrial estates.
Sojan Joseph of the Edayar Small Scale Industries' Association points out the case of a segment of road, work on which has been delayed apparently for no reasons. He says around 4,000 people works in the industrial area and laying the nearly four-km road will help the more than 330 units in the industrial area.
The KSSIA note also says encouraging local self-government bodies to set up industrial areas will substantially increase job opportunities besides augmenting revenue for the government.
The improvement of facilities at the minor ports will help streamline cargo movement between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod and help attract investments in industrial units, the association feels.
Mr. Joseph says the State government must help the small units by granting them title deeds to the land they purchased from the government on industrial estates and in industrial development area as per the April 1969 order from the government.
The small industries association is of the view that the titles should be distributed to industrial unit owners who have fully met their hire purchase conditions and made full payment to the government. It is expected that once an entrepreneur pays the full amount as the cost of the land, the title deed will be granted, the association says.
