Policies for Aerospace, startup soon: Governor

Delivering his customary New Year address to the House, the Governor said a new aerospace and defence industrial policy will also be announced soon to promote the two sectors.

Purohit said the government has taken various steps to provide a vibrant business environment and eco-system for starting new enterprises, through single window clearance, besides promoting innovation and entrepreneurship.

He said startup entrepreneurs are being promoted under the ‘New Entrepreneur-cum-Enterprise Development Scheme’ (NEEDS). 

The tender transparency act has been amended making it mandatory for the State Government departments and public sector undertakings (PSUs) to procure at least 25 per cent of the requirement of goods and services from medium, small and micro enterprises (MSME) when they participate in the tender process. The numerous initiatives taken by the government would definitely give an impetus to the MSME sector in Tamil Nadu, he added.

Stating that industrial sector was the engine of economic growth and development, Purohit said special focus is being given to attract new investments.

Tamil Nadu being a major automobile hub, thrust would be given for the promotion of new-generation electric vehicles with appropriate incentives, the Governor said.

 Renowned organisations such as National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) have hailed the efforts of the State in fostering industrial development. The second edition of Global Investors Meet (GIM) would be organised on January 23-24 for which Japan, South Korea, Australia, France and United Kingdom are the partner nations. The State Government is taking all efforts to make the meet a resounding success, he said.

He said the establishment of industrial hubs for defence products in Chennai-Vellore-Salem-Hosur-Coimbatore-Tiruchy corridor would definitely improve the prospects of Tamil Nadu as a major defence manufacturing force.

He also requested the Union Government to expedite the implementation of the defence industrial production corridor project.

Principal opposition party DMK on Wednesday staged a walk out from the State Assembly, boycotting the Governor’s address citing the alleged failures of the ruling AIADMK. 

“The incumbent government has failed on all fronts. Even the Governor’s address only praises it and hence the walkout,” Stalin said. The DMK’s ally Congress also followed suit. 

In a statement, Stalin accused the Governor of heaping praises on a failed government to facilitate a BJP-AIADMK alliance for the upcoming parliamentary polls. 

“Describing Chief Minister as a competent leader for doing his regular duty was nothing but an attempt to glorify a failed government for the sake of an electoral alliance,” Stalin said, calling the Governor’s address a “total failure report of the government” from which no benefits would be accrued to the people. 

Criticising the absence of new announcements in the address, Stalin accused the ruling AIADMK of giving a pat on its own back for mentioning the Sterlite closure order in the address despite the National Green Tribunal stating that the plant was closed without taking a policy decision. 

Addressing newspersons later in the day, after chairing the meeting of party MLAs, Stalin said they had staged walkout from the House only because the government was not competent and failed to demand funds for cyclone Gaja relief works. He also added that his party legislators would continue to raise the issue in the House.

Asked about the ECI announcing the schedule for Tiruvarur and not the other vacant constituencies, Stalin said leaders of all other parties have raised the question. “There is a conspiracy in this. The ECI, the Centre and the State Government have jointly conspired and disqualified 18 MLAs. We do not know why the commission had announced polls in a haste for Tiruvarur, ignoring Thiruparankundram,” Stalin added.

Commenting on reports about senior party leaders urging him to contest in Tiruvarur, Stalin said: “You would know if it is Duraimurugan or T R Baalu or I between 5 and 6pm on January 4.”