Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri on Monday questioned the State government’s industrial policy, a day after it announced that the Cauvery delta region will be declared a protected agricultural zone.
While welcoming Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s announcement, Mr. Alagiri said that there was, however, no clarity on which industries will be allowed to set up shop in T.N. “The industrial policy of the State is confusing, and no one knows what it entails. There is no clarity on the kind of industries that can and cannot be set up here,” he said in a statement.
Noting that there have been regular protests against the growth of industries in the State, he said one cannot blame the protesters for opposing industries that affect livelihoods. “But the Tamil Nadu government should clarify which are the industries that won’t affect the people,” he said. In the light of Sunday’s announcement, he sought to know what plans the State government had in relation to the employment prospects of the 25 lakh people in the Cauvery delta region. “These people cannot be dependent on agriculture alone. Does the government have any plans for protecting the livelihoods of these people?” he asked.
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The Congress leader said the Tamil Nadu government should immediately clarify what sort of industries can be set up in the State, so that the lakhs of engineering students who graduate every year will have jobs to look forward to.
He said the government should immediately consult entrepreneurs and experts so that Tamil Nadu could continue on the path of industrialisation, and should also take steps to announce a new industrial policy for the State at the earliest.