The members of Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association and Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (MADITSSIA) have thanked the State government for focusing on industrial development of the southern districts.
V.S. Manimaran, president of MADITSSIA, thanked the government for allocating special funds for the development of industrial clusters in the southern districts at a seminar organised by the two trade bodies in the city recently on the topic “Traders Welfare Board”.
“The uninterrupted power cuts that were plaguing the industries have been curtailed. Several plans have been announced for encouraging new industries in the southern districts. So far, industrial development only centred around Chennai, Sriperumbudur and Kancheepuram. But now the focus had shifted to the southern districts as well,” Mr.Manimaran said.
S.P. Jeyapragasam, president of Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association, said there were several good schemes, but there was no awareness among the traders. “With the establishment of Madurai-Tuticorin industrial corridor, several industries will boom in the southern parts of the State,” he said.
He urged the State government to give tax reduction to flour mills, besides reducing tax on oils manufactured in the State and exempting cattle fodder from taxation. He requested Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration M.C. Sampathto hold meetings with traders once in three months to know their grievances.
In his special address, Mr.Sampath highlighted the steps taken by the government for industrial development.
“The State has implemented schemes such as family welfare assistant to traders, educational assistance to their wards, and medical assistance,” he said. The Minister promised to take up the issues raised by the traders with the Chief Minister.
Minister for Cooperation Sellur K. Raju, Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa, MLAs A.K. Bose and R. Annadurai, Deputy Mayor R. Gopalakrishnan, and former MP and special representative of the Tamil Nadu government in New DelhiS.T.K. Jakkaiyan attended the meeting.
