The Utkal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI), an apex body of industry representatives in the state, has sought 100 acres of land from the state government for establishing a bicycle complex on cluster approach.
In a memorandum submitted to the state MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) department, UCCI, illustrating the success of Hero Cycle complex in Ludhiana, said, it is willing to develop a bicycle complex in and around Bhubaneswar through cluster approach. It said, a cycle complex can be developed within 4-5 years if the MSME department allots 100 acres of land.
The industry body also blamed Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) for its apathetic action towards the problems of MSME sector.
“Idco was primarily established to provide infrastructure facilities to the industries in the state. But at present, it is only concentrating on providing land and other infrastructure facilities to the big ticket projects and neglecting the problems of the MSME sector,” said Debabrata Dash, Secretary, UCCI. He submitted a memorandum on ‘Problems of MSMEs’ to Damodar Rout, minister of health and family welfare and MSME at a seminar here. UCCI suggested that the industrial estates that are currently under Idco’s control should be brought under the administrative control of the MSME department to enable an early solution to the problems of the sector.
Dash said, VAT (value added tax) is playing a destructive role for the small scale industries in the state. The large, medium and mega industries are purchasing goods from other states by paying only two per cent central sales tax (CST) instead of paying VAT ranging from 5-13.5 per cent, in the state, he added
In addition, the industry body accused the government for not implementing the MSME Development Policy- 2009 in letter and spirit.