Listing the industries that remain closed in the State due to policies of the previous State government and the Centre in the last 10 years, Assembly Speaker M. Appavu has urged the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to appoint a committee to study this problem and ensure early revival of these industries.
In a memorandum submitted to Mr. Stalin recently, he said over 20 lakh skilled and unskilled workers had lost their employment. The Nanguneri Multiproduct Special Economic Zone, which was conceived by late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and late Union Minister Murasoli Maran was smothered by the successive government. Since the SEZ is yet to see the dawn even after 22 years, the 2,500-odd acres acquired for this project should be taken back from the promoter for establishing small, marginal and medium industries.
Similarly, the Gangaikondan Information Technology Special Economic Zone, which was launched by Karunanidhi, was put in cold storage and it should be revived.
The brick, tile and earthenware making units in the southern districts, which were giving employment to a few lakh workers, are remaining idle as these units are not allowed to take clay due to the unrealistic conditions stipulated by the government in 2011. As the Collectors concerned can give permission for taking clay for brick and tile kiln and earthenware manufacturing units this industry can be revived again by empowering the Collectors.
Over a lakh skilled and unskilled workers, who were employed in the beach sand mineral units in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, had been left unemployed due to the obstacles created by the previous governments since 2011.
The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, which was recruiting the locals and the land-losers for the ‘C’ and ‘D’ category posts till 2011 based on the agreement reached earlier, had stopped it completely.
Over 1,000 flour mills, which were functioning with the dhal being imported through the Thoothukudi seaport, were gathering dust after the Union Government is allowing import of dhal through Adani’s harbour in Gujarat. Consequently, over a lakh workers of these flour mills in Tamil Nadu and 1 lakh lorry drivers, cleaners and load-men had been left unemployed. The lorry owners cannot even pay the loans they had availed for purchasing the trucks.
The matchbox and the firecracker industries of Thoothukudi and Virudhunagar districts, giving employment to over 10 lakh persons to fulfil 95% of matches and the firecrackers requirements of the entire country, are facing uncertain future due to the unprecedented raw material price rise and unrealistic conditions laid down by the Union Government.
While wiping out these industries of Tamil Nadu, the Gujarat-based importers are being encouraged to import matchboxes and crackers from China to destroy these industries.
The cotton price had been artificially jacked up through hoarding to kill the textile industry of Coimbatore after the city’s motor pump making units were purposely decimated through the Centre’s policies. The cashew industries of Villupuram, Cuddalore and Kanniyakumari districts are at the brink of collapse after the export and import subsidies were withdrawn by the Union Government.
“Since a few political parties and caste outfits are working overtime to create caste and communal clashes in the southern districts, the Chief Minister should appoint a committee headed by a Secretary-level officer to study these serious issues and ensure the early revival of these industries,” he said.
