Several industrialists and the Kerala State Government are active with regard to Kitex Garments’ scrapping of Rs. 3,500 crore project in the state.
LuLu Group chairman MA Yusuff Ali has said that he would request Kitex Group to not leave Kerala and expressed hope that the company and the State Government would hold discussions and resolve the issue amicably.
In a statement, he said that whether it be one rupee or Rs. one crore, no amount of investment should go out of Kerala.
Harsh Goenka, Chairman, RPG Enterprises, has appreciated the Kerala policies. “We are the largest employers in Kerala. We find the local government very supportive,” he wrote in response to an economist’s tweet about an article on the state’s leading private sector employer Kitex Garments’ decision to scrap a Rs. 3,500 crore project alleging “Relentless Harassment By CPM-led Govt.”
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The Kerala State Government has assured Kitex Garments that ‘positive steps’ would be taken to resolve the issue.
The Chief Minister of the state Pinarayi Vijayan has called a meeting today (5 July) to ensure that industrial entrepreneurs are provided all the facilities they require by all the related Government departments.
P. Rajeev, Industries Minister, Kerala has said the issues raised by the company were being considered seriously and positive steps would be taken to resolve the same.
“We had sent officials to meet Sabu to take stock of the grievances of the company. The controversy involving the company was a ‘one-off incident’ and it was being considered seriously. The Kerala Government does not have a policy of carrying out ‘surprise or lightning’ raids on industries and such action is only taken if there are complaints of a grave nature against any such entity,” the minister said.
The Industries Minister also said that the company should have given the Government an opportunity to resolve the issue before creating an embarrassment for the state by airing its grievances on social media.
An official of the industries department said that according to the state pollution control board, no effluents were being released by Kitex into the Kadambrayar.
Sabu Jacob, CMD of the company confirmed that officials from the Industries department came to meet him and that he has given report to them.
He also said that the Government should either prove the allegations of pollution against his company or suspend the officials who raided his various industrial units.
Meanwhile, K. Surendran, President, Kerala BJP alleged that Kitex was being harassed as part of the political vendetta of the ruling CPI (M) against the company. IUML leader P.K. Kunhalikutty urged the Government to be more investor-friendly.