Salt industries need to modernise production, says Natchiappan

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry E M S Natchiappan today asked salt industries to modernise production facilities to reach global standards.
"The salt industry should think of technological upgradation, modernisation, mechanisation and value addition of salt, creating of supply chain and warehouses for exports", he said after inaugurating the 'Salt Conclave 2014' here, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry.
The Minister also asked industries to tap solar power by identifying it through proper funding from public sector banks and from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
"The Centre has allotted considerable areas of salt land for the industrial development of Tamil Nadu," he said.

To offer health care for labourers in the salt industry, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Joint Secretary, Shubra Singh said the Centre planned to introduce an insurance scheme for welfare of the one lakh salt workers.
"The salt workers are in the unorganised sector and did not avail any of the government's welfare schemes, though they are eligible for them," she said.
Singh said the salt industry produced about 25 million tonnes of salt. "About six million tonnes were edible salt and 12 million tonne were industrial. Five million tonnes were exported", she said.
Stating that 95 per cent of the industry is small-scale, Salt Commissioner M A Ansari laid emphasis on the need to improve the quality of salt to international standards and improve productivity per acre as land resources are limited.