Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy announced the government’s new slogan of 'Emerging Kerala 2012’ to restore its image of being an investment-friendly destination.
He launched the year-long golden jubilee celebrations of the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSDIC) here.
Industries minister P K Kunhalikutty unfolded several special incentives to entrepreneurs including waving of the processing fee of Rs 75,000 hitherto charged by KSIDC for term loan finances.
A special 2 percent rebate for NRI and domestic investors on loans, and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Kerala and the IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), for setting up of a Rs 1,000-crore global training academy at Technocity, Thiruvananthapuram, also marked the event held on Sunday.
Oommen Chandy said the government would adopt a transparent approach by accommodating the views of all sections of the society and implement the ‘Emerging Kerala 2012’ programme.
He said Kerala could not miss any more opportunities on its developmental stride, adding that its policies would be cast in such a way that the benefits of the state’s economic and industrial development percolated to all sections of the society.
Kerala, which was placed second only to Karnataka among southern states as investment friendly destinations as per the 2005 World Bank study boosted by the Global Investor Meet organized by the then UDF government in 2003, was again pulled far down in the Bank’s 2008 study, due to various reasons.
This was an eye-opener for the present government and it was very serious on restoring the same image of the past in which ‘right to quality service’ will also be ensured, he said.
