The Hindu : Govt. to hold talks with Opposition: Antony

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Govt. to hold talks with Opposition: Antony

By Our Special Correspondent

KOCHI JAN. 20. A fast-track, transparent machinery would be set up for the speedy and timely implementation of the proposals at the Global Investor Meet (GIM), which has been instrumental in attracting investments to the tune of Rs. 26,000 crores.

MoUs have been entered into for 95 projects totalling Rs. 11,151 crores at the just-concluded meet, which the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, described as a "great success and a new beginning''.

Addressing a press conference along with the Industries Minister, P.K. Kunhalikutty, and the Finance Minister, K. Sankaranarayanan, Mr. Antony said the procedural clearances to be undergone for these projects would be undertaken on a war-footing.

He said that whatever administrative reforms that were needed to speed up the implementation and follow-up of the project proposals would be done under a new mechanism to be evolved by the Government.

There would be another round of discussions with the Opposition parties on the details of various projects and the government would go ahead only with their consent.

He underlined the need for taking the Opposition into confidence and hailed the Leader of the Opposition's gesture in cooperating with the GIM. The Chief Minister said that he was pleased with the response of the investor community, both from India and abroad, for making GIM an overwhelming success. The strategy of proactively identifying investment opportunities and placing them before the investor community had paid off very well, he said. Besides the Prime Minister's announcement of Rs. 10,000-crore investment for public sector units, MoUs in the private sector accounted for an investment of Rs. 11,000 crores. "Firm offers'' which net in Rs. 3,000 crores and Rs. 2,000 crores by way of Expression of Interest were the main investment plans , the Industries Minister said.

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