Even as it fosters and promotes industries, the State government will continue to strive and protect the interests of the workers towards making Tamil Nadu the top industrialised State in the nation, Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said here on Saturday.
Participating in the silver jubilee celebrations of the public sector Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited at Kagithapuram near here, Mr. Stalin promised that the State government would extend all support to the TNPL in its quest to become the global leader in paper making out of bagasse.
The Deputy Chief Minister dedicated the mill development plan (completed at a cost of Rs. 612 crore) to the nation and also laid the foundation stone for the Rs. 1,000 crore mill expansion plan on the occasion.
Mr. Stalin said the TNPL would set up a mini cement plant with a capacity of 600 tonnes per day as part of its lime sludge management at a capital outlay of Rs. 63 crore; set up a de-inking plant with an installed capacity of 300 tonnes per day at an outlay of Rs. 174 crore; and revamping and power systems at a cost of Rs. 135 crore over the next two years.
On the occasion of its silver jubilee, the TNPL provided Rs. 96.76 lakh to the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board for extending drinking water supply to the neighbourhood villages in six panchcyats and that would benefit more than 9,700 people. In addition, Mr. Stalin distributed welfare benefits worth Rs. 1.03 crore to a total of 786 persons.
The Deputy Chief Minister distributed gold coins weighing six grams each, to each of the 1,812 staff on rolls and also gold coins weighing three grams each, to each of the 1,573 contract workers.
Reacting to the demands from several sections to regularise the services of the contract workers, Mr. Stalin said the State government was sympathetic to the needs of the contract workers but policy matters weighed in as well. Their interests would be protected at all costs, he promised. However, falling short of their expectations, Mr. Stalin announced some sops including an upward revision of their wages to the tune of 15 per cent effective from the current month, promise of a new pay package and settlement from October 2010. He also announced that five legal heirs of those who had given their land to establish the Kagithapuram unit would be given jobs in the plant while another six persons were to be absorbed after relaxing some norms, he said.
Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment D. Napoleon, Forests Minister N. Selvaraj, TNPL Chairman and Principal Secretary, Industries, M.F. Farooqui, TNPL Managing Director Mohammed Nasimuddin, District Collector J. Uma Maheswari, MLAs P. Kamaraj (Krishnarayapuram), R. Manikkam (Kulithalai) and V.M. Khaleelur Rahman (Aravakurichi), District Revenue Officer C. Munirathinam, TNPL Deputy Managing Director A. Velliangiri, DMK district secretary Vasuki Murugesan, and former MP K.C. Palanisamy were among those who participated in the function.
