Speed ​​up permissions and permissions: CM

Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Tuesday called on the departments responsible for industry, trade and commerce to speed up authorizations and authorizations in order to create a favorable business environment for industries in the territory of the Union.

Addressing the ‘Vanijya Saptah’, a conclave of industrialists and exporters, Mr Rangasamy said the delay in customs clearance was one of the many factors causing industries to migrate out of the Union territory. to other states.

“I don’t want to sound too critical, but it is undeniable that there has been a drop in the number of industrial companies in the cities. It is also an undeniable reality that industries face delays in obtaining approvals and that potential entrepreneurs have to wait for approvals, which not only hinders the development of Pondicherry, but also causes a migration of units to other business-friendly states, ”Rangasamy said. noted.

The event was supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) and the General Directorate of Foreign Trade, South Zone.

The chief minister pointed out that in the past the industrial zones of Sedarapet and Mettupalayam near Pondicherry experienced flourishing industrial activity, but the situation has changed now and many industries have left Pondicherry.

He also noted that the one-stop-shop system should live up to its goal of granting early approvals. The experience, however, was on the contrary, he said.

To make his point clear, Mr Rangasamy cited an example of a hotelier having to run from pillar to pillar to get approval to build an additional floor, with the government itself facing obstacles at the center. to develop a 750-acre site he acquired a decade ago. in a special economic zone and the 30-acre site in Mettupalayam acquired for an information technology park transforming an inactive asset.

Pointing out that entrepreneurs often also encounter delays in obtaining an electrical connection, Mr Rangasamy wondered how the vision of becoming an attractive destination for industries would be realized if such a situation could persist.

He called on officials to pull themselves together and ensure a coordinated approach to create a favorable business climate in the territory of the Union.

The Chief Minister also launched a special Bank of Baroda quick window for exporting MSMEs to access credit.

Inaugurating the conclave, Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan endorsed the sentiments of the Chief Minister and called for a course correction to drive the recovery of the post-Covid-19 economy.

She recalled that the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior had responded positively to the vision document for the rapid industrialization of the territory of the Union that she had submitted a few months ago.

Stressing the importance of air connectivity to boost trade and tourism, Ms Soundararajan said that discussions were underway with the government of Tamil Nadu on acquiring the land needed for the extension of the airport runway. from Puducherry.

The Pondicherry government will soon come up with an export policy to “deepen and diversify” the portfolio of products currently shipped overseas, Chief Secretary Ashwani Kumar said.

The government has approved the draft policy and will announce its export policy soon, he said.

Participants included PML Kalyanasundaram, MP, Sanjay Chadha, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, MK Shanmuga Sundaram, ADGFT, Chennai, E. Vallavan, Secretary of Industries, Yasam Lakshmi Narayana Reddy, Director of Industries and Trade, Israr Ahmed, regional president, FIEO Southern Region and Rishita Gupta, responsible district collector.

A B2C exhibition was also organized in this regard with 30 pavilions that showcased the export-oriented products and services of banks, manufacturers, MSMEs and self-help groups.