Date:09/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/09/stories/2008030951900300.htm

Kerala - Alappuzha

Big budgetary support for coir sector: Isaac

Staff Reporter

Global tenders invited for developing port, marina

Rs.5 crore for modernising the coir industry
Rs.20 crore for modernising KSDP

ALAPPUZHA: Alappuzha has a lot to gain from this year’s State budget, what with priority being accorded to revival of the coir sector and funds set aside for several crucial projects in the district, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac said here on Saturday.

Talking to reporters, Dr. Isaac said a package was being finalised for the reorganisation of Coirfed, which was in a decadent state. The minimum amount required for restructuring Coirfed would be provided for. A token provision of Rs.2 crore was set aside since the total costs were yet to be estimated.

The other budgetary provisions for the coir sector included Rs.5 crore for the modernisation of the coir industry, Rs.5 crore for transport subsidy and common facility centres for small-scale coir manufacturing co-operative societies, Rs.2 crore for a new common facility service centres, Rs.4 crore for the revitalisation of coir cooperative societies and Rs.5 crore for the State Coir Corporation to facilitate a 10 per cent rebate on coir products to exporters who buy products from the Corporation.

Stating that Rs.20 crore had been set aside for the modernisation of the Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (KSDP) in Alappuzha, Dr. Isaac said the government was thus reviving a firm that was about to be sold off. The controversies over KSDP were unnecessary. The Homoeopathic Cooperative Pharmacy Limited (HOMCO) was provided with Rs.50 lakh for the construction of a factory building on the KSDP campus apart from Rs.20 lakh for establishing a pharmacy college.

The budget also provided Rs.1 crore for a stadium here while global tenders had been invited for the consultancy project for developing a Cargo port and a marina here. An amount of Rs.10 lakh had been set apart from renovation of the sea bridge as well.

As for the drinking water project for the Alappuzha municipality and eight surrounding panchayats under the Centre’s Urban Infrastructure and Development Small and Medium Scheme for Towns, the State was unable to garner Central support for the water distribution component in rural areas.

However, this would not impede implementation of the project, the Minister said.