Industry
KERALA OFFERS excellent commercial and trading bases to cater to
the booming world economy. In tune with the liberalisation of Government
of India, Kerala has implemented a comprehensive range of policy
initiatives (Sept. 1991) to provide an ideal environment for industrial
investment.
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Advantages
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Strategic location |
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World wide connectivity |
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Well developed road & rail
network |
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Ample power supply |
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Highly skilled man power |
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Low operating cost |
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Industry friendly approach |
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Clean & green environment |
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There is strong emphasis on industry that is clean and green. Environmental
protection of natural resources for the benefit of all, is the guiding
motto.
The new industrial policy of the Kerala government makes a concerted
effort to develop export oriented areas like Information
Technology, Agro-Based products, Readymade Garments, Ayurvedic
Medicines, Mining, Marine products, Light Engineering, Bio-Technology,
Rubber- based Industries and Tourism.
Specialised industrial parks with state-of-the-art infrastructure
are being developed for each of the thrust sector segments.
Labour Agenda - 2000 of Kerala Government outlines the directive
principles of the new labour policy. Industrial relations committee,
already in existence, is being made more competent to bring amity
in the industrial sector. 18 such committees are functioning in
Kerala now.
Efforts were also being made to reform labour behaviour. The agenda
recommends constituting a labour bank to provide cash credit to
labourers. And to train labourers, entrepreneurs and labour officers,
a training institute is also mooted.
Labour Authority, a separate ESI corporation for the state, ODEPEC
action plan, Labour Law reforms, Housing scheme for labourers and
Relief measures for the labourers of closed factories are the other
ingredients of the agenda.
Ruthless implementation of pro-poor policies by successive governments
in Kerala is said to have impeded its Industrial progress. Policies
like Minimum Wage Legislation and the effective implementation of
land reforms resulted in low capital formation and militant trade
unionism.
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Labour Agenda 2000
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Labour bank |
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Training institute |
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Labour authority |
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Seperate ESI corporation |
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ODEPEC action plan |
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Labour law reforms |
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Housing scheme for labourers |
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Relief measures |
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But the realisation that industries are no more the milching cow that
it was, is transforming the behavioural pattern of trade unionists.
Kerala stands 18th now in relation to the labour problems in India.
Kerala is a consumer state. Per capita consumption of consumer
goods are very high. Remittances from the Gulf sector helps to prop
up the economy.
But most of the money is parked at unproductive sectors like Construction,
Real Estate and on White Goods.
Kerala has sufficient power generating capacity now and would
soon become a power surplus state. The power tariff is one of the
lowest in India.
In April 97, Kerala became the first state to have Public Telephones
in all its villages, accessible over STD/ISD from any part of the
world.
It also has the first district (Kottayam) in India to computerise
all the taluk offices connecting them with the district head quarters.
All Block Panchayats have computer links now.
Kerala is well connected by rail and road. The state boasts of
three Domestic Airports (Calicut, Kochi, and Thiruvananthapuram)
and two International Airports (Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi).
Kochi Airport is India's first Airport built with private participation.
It also has four Ports (Alappuzha, Calicut, Kochi, and Nindakara).
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