A meeting to discuss the problems faced by the small scale industries in Mysore district on October 22 may turn out to be more of a formality than a genuine exercise to tackle the issues.
According to a release from the Joint Director of District Industries Centre, the meeting will be presided over by SSI Minister Narasimha Nayak (Raju Gowda) at the Institution of Engineers here. The district-level meeting is being convened to discuss the issues being faced by the SSIs in Mysore district.
Surprised over the lack of communication to the local industrialists, let alone those spread across the district, an industrialist, who came to know of the meeting when contacted this morning, lamented: “Why this lethargy, I cannot understand.”
“It appears that even the industry associations are unaware of the scheduled meeting,” the industrialist, who is an executive committee member of the Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, remarked.
According to industry sources, Mysore district has nearly 23,000 SSIs with an investment of over Rs 531 crore providing employment to nearly 120,000 people. In 2009-10, 837 SSIs were started with an investment of Rs 49 crore. This was the highest since 2004-05.
The district has seven industrial areas, four of them in Mysore alone. They are Hebbal, Hootagalli, Belagola, Belavadi, Koorghalli (in Mysore) and at Nanjangud and Thandya (in Nanjangud taluk). There are six industrial estates at Yadavagiri, Hebbal, Metagalli and Hinkal (in Mysore), Nanjangud and Hunsur, spread over 134 acres where all 524 industry sheds are allotted.
Recognising the role of SSIs in the state, the government is offering several incentives and concessions. However, a large number of SSIs in the district are either sick or operating at lower levels because of infrastructural issues. One of the chief hassles relate to power supply.
Mysore is recognised as the second most important city in the state after Bangalore. It is the second largest exporter of software after Bangalore. As a historical and tourist centre, it is growing in importance as a heritage city drawing more tourists, offering the scope for the tourism-related industry. However, the industry growth has not kept pace with expectations.
Not to miss the opportunity, at least some local SSI industrialists are expected to raise the issues confronting them at the meeting.
