The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : CENVAT will go for powerlooms: Elangovan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 30, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

CENVAT will go for powerlooms: Elangovan

By Our Special Correspondent

COIMBATORE, MAY 29. The Central Value-Added Tax (CENVAT) for powerlooms will be withdrawn, E.V.K.S. Elangovan, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, said today.

This was an "electoral promise" and would be implemented positively, he said responding to queries by mediapersons here.

Asked about the demand by chambers of commerce for exempting traders with a turnover of less than Rs. 50 lakhs from the proposed State-level value-added tax, he said he was yet to receive any representation.

Pointing out that the tea and coffee boards would come under his purview, Mr. Elangovan said putting the tea industry back on the rails would be one of his priorities. It had been facing problems including poor returns to growers.

Asked whether he proposed to convene any meeting, he said he planned to discuss the issue with the Nilgiris MP, R. Prabhu, and initiate steps.

Would he seek early convening of the Cauvery River Authority as the Mettur dam should be opened soon to ensure a kuruvai crop? Mr. Elangovan said an early solution would be found to the Cauvery issue "without affecting the farmers of both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu". If necessary, he would meet the Karnataka Chief Minister also.

To a questioner, he said the Centre was ready to extend assistance for infrastructural and industrial development of the places where there were airports\ports\rail link. So far it remained unutilised because of "indifference" on the part of the State Government. "I hope it will start utilising it at least now".

`Wrongs still remain'

While conceding that some of the "wrongs" the AIADMK Government committed were now set right, Mr. Elangovan asserted that "quite a few more yet remained unsettled".

For instance, the Kannagi statue had not yet been reinstalled on the original site on the Marina in Chennai. The government was yet to withdraw the hikes in bus fare, power tariff and price of rice meant for the public distribution system and also college and school textbooks.

According to him, at present the State Government was virtually "non-functional".

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