Pics: Meryick D'Silva
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SHS)

Mangalore, May 30: "The governments so far have failed to recognize the potential of Mangalore port. In the coming days, we will prioritize the port and even encourage export trade from Mangalore," said additional chief secretary to the state government (department of commerce and industry), K Ratna Prabha.

She was addressing an interactive meeting Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Friday, May 30. During the interaction, the KCCI members and others raised several concerns related to trade and industry.

Ratna Prabha who delivered her brief talk after Mohammad Ameen, president of KCCI submitted a memorandum to her, said the infrastructure of the coastal could be more beautified. "During this visit, I learnt that if many sectors work in co-ordination, the city could realize what it currently dreams about.

"The governments have neglected the Mangalore port due to several reasons. The export trade could be boosted at the port, in fact the city has every potential to develop its export trade and industrial sector. The Chennai-Bangalore-Mumbai industrial corridor project would facilitate the sector to emerge more comprehensively," she said.

Responding to the problems addressed in the memorandum, she said, "The government will try hard in every capacity to resolve the problems that have been brought to out notice,"

In the memorandum submitted, the problem pertaining to the land allotted to JESCO topped the list. According to the KCCI president, Ameen, as many as 950 acres of land allotted to JESCO at Baikampady turned out to be waste, without any project or industrial activity being taken up there. Of the 950 acres of the land allotted, JESCO has surrendered 250 acres to the KIADB. The KIADB has reallocated the land to small and medium scale industries.

The KCCI requested in the memorandum that the state government should take back the remaining 700 acers of land and reserve it for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The other demands in the memorandu are - exemption of trade license for MSME and small scale industries, exemption of labour cess of 2%, better handling of power situation in the district, merger of KSSIDC and KIADB, better transport/public conveyance facility to labourers at Baikampady industrial area and so on.

In the meeting M Maheshwar Rao, commissioner for industrial development and director of industries and commerce and Rammohan Pai, honorary secretary of KCCI were present.