With exports playing a major role in the industrial and economic development of the State, the exporting community has appealed to the Chief Minister to consider establishment of Export Promotion Board in the State.

In its pre-budget memorandum to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, the President of Tirupur Exporters’ Association A. Sakthivel suggested the establishment of export promotion board at the State level for giving a focused approach to the export development of the State.

Policy formulation

“The State should bring out a separate State Export policy inline with Foreign Trade Policy of the Centre. The policy can be formulated with the help of Tamil Nadu Export Promotion Board,” said Sakthivel.

Power policies

Hailing the Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Policy, which envisaged establishment of 3000 MW in TN by 2015, Sakthivel said the exporting units had started taking steps to set up solar power plants.

“As the cost of establishment of such units is pretty high, the State could support such initiatives by exempting the land registration fee for solar parks, exempt wheeling charges as in Andhra Pradesh, install grid sub station and transmission lines for transmitting the power from the solar park and enhance the rate that is bring offered to the private power producers for supply of solar power to the grid.”

He stressed the need for a dedicated power station in Tirupur in the interest of the knitwear cluster.

Infra hurdles

Emphasising the need for removal of infrastructure bottleneck for sustaining the high rates of economic growth, Sakthivel said the road linking Tirupur to Tuticorin has to be laid properly on priority basis to ensure smooth movement of container loads.

Workers welfare

He has also suggested the need to consider construction of budget houses for migrant workers in Tirupur. “We will require at least 20,000 houses for such workers,” he said.

Besides budget houses, the Government could also consider construction of hostel for women in Tirupur, he said.

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