Centre assures Ludhiana industry about measures against misuse of SAFTA

                                           
Responding to the demand of the Information and Broadcasting Minister and local MP Manish Tewari, the Union Minister for Micro, Medium and Small Enterprises, KH Muniyappa today assured that he would look into the measures to be taken so that the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) is not misused by countries which route their exports to India through SAARC countries like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh thus harming the local industry. 

Speaking during an interaction with the small and medium entrepreneurs from Ludhiana here today, Muniyappa said, he was seized of the matter concerning the industry in Ludhiana. 

The Minister regretted that instead of the Ludhiana industry exporting to other countries as it had all the potential, things were being imported. He recalled, long back in early sixties his freedom fighter father had gifted him a bicycle for going to the school and that had been manufactured in Ludhiana. 

Muniyappa asked the Ludhiana industry to prepare a comprehensive draft in consultation with Tewari so that he will get it approved within the possible parameters. 

For developing clusters he said, it was primarily the job of the state government to build these clusters by providing the infrastructure and power. He said, let the state government submit a complete proposal and plan and he will ensure it is approved within one month. 

Earlier speaking on the occasion, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister and local MP Manish Tewari said, where he and the Ludhiana industry understood that in the modern and liberalised economy we can't live in isolation, but at the same time it was necessary and important that measures were taken to safeguard the interests of the local industry, particularly the small and medium enterprises. 

Tewari called for granting exemption from central excise duty to cycle and other light engineering manufacturers as had been granted to the hosiery and textile industry. 

The Minister expressed his gratitude to Muniyappa for personally coming to learn about the problems being faced by Ludhiana industry. 

He said, it was at the behest of the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who was feeling very much concerned about the plight of small and medium enterprises, that the current interaction had been organised. He assured that he will personally ensure that whatever measures are possible will be taken at the earliest. 

Among others present on the occasion included Director General MSME Sh. Amarendra Sinha, CMD NSIC Dr. H.P. Kumar, MLA Surinder Dawer, Ex. MLAs Jassi Khangura, Milkiat Singh Birmi, Milkiat Singh Dakha, district Congress president Pawan Dewan, Badish Jindal, Joginder Kumar, Manjit Singh Khalsa, Vinod Thapar, Charanjeet Singh Vishawkarma, Upkar Singh Ahuja, K.K Garg, Narinder Bhawra, Darshan Dawar, Avtar Singh Bhogal and others. 

Courtesy: Press Information Bureau (pib.nic.in)