: Industry bodies and exporters in the district today welcomed the tax-free budget, saying that the people will get benefitted due to the implementation of the schemes announced in it.
Hailing the budget, Tirupur Exporters' Association president, Raja Shanmugham, said the allocation of Rs.2,000 crore for the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Fund would be helpful for the development of infrastructure, which is the need of the hour.
The allocation of Rs.150 crore for the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Mission to train one lakh youth was a welcome step, he said .
The exporters also welcomed the proposal to strengthen single window system in the Tamil Nadu Industries Guidance and Export Promotion Bureau further by making it online so that investors can get all approvals expeditiously in a hassle-free manner at one place.
While noting the allocation of Rs.532 crore for MSME sector in the budget, Shanmugham lauded the doubling of allocation of capital subsidy to MSME units from Rs.80 crore to Rs.160 crore which will be helpful for MSME units in Tirupur, as more than 80 per cent of total units in Tirupur came under MSME categories.
He also appreciated the government for announcing a Special Export promotion and marketing support scheme at an outlay of Rs.10 crore to enhance the competitiveness of MSME units in domestic and international markets.
Meanwhile, the local chapter of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) termed the budget as growth-oriented with thrust on inclusive development.
In a statement, its chairman S Narayanan, thanked the government for considering many of its recommendations, especially in the areas of infrastructure development in Tamil Nadu.
The announcement of allocation of Rs.1,400 crore for the Smart Cities Mission is a welcome move, he said.
Increased support to farmer producer organisations is a potential game-changer if implemented well based on clusters, he added.
He also said it was good that addressed the water shortage issues welcomed the move to replace the State Planning Commission with State Development Policy Council.
Meanwhile, Kongunadu Jananayaka Katchi founder-convenor, G K Nagaraj welcomed the allocation of Rs. 250 crore to the long-pending Avanashi-Athikadavu water project.
(reopens SRG13)
Meanwhile, the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV) appealed to the state government to consider electric two-wheelers under the Amma Scheme, under which the government was providing 50 per cent subsidy for working women to purchase scooters.
Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had announced the scheme last year.
Since, electric two-wheelers help reduce carbon footprint and usage of petrol, the society wanted the government to encourage such vehicles, by including it in the scheme, SMEV South chapter head, Hemalatha Annamalai, told reporters here.
Stating that Tamil Nadu was the first state to offer battery-operated three-wheelers to differently-abled between 2010 and 2012, Hemalatha alleged that this was changed to bring in polluting petrol vehicles the following year.
To reduce air pollution, the government should reverse the policy and include electric vehicles in the Amma Scheme, so that it would benefit large number of women, particularly common people residing in rural areas.
Besides, zero-fuel cost, these vehicles help save 1,364 litres of petrol over a period of five years, running 50 km per day on an average, she claimed.
"Inclusion under the Amma two-wheeler scheme will benefit one lakh women in the state get subsidy of 50 per cent of the cost of a two-wheeler, subject to a maximum of Rs 20,000," Hemalatha said.
