SPEECH OF PROF. K.V. THOMAS, HON’BLE MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AT THE ‘PRAVASI BHRATIYA DIVAS’ SESSION ON INFRASTRUCTRE DEVELOPMENT IN KERALA ON WEDNESDAY, THE 9TH JANUARY, 2013 AT KOCHI, KERALA:
Respected Rashtrapati ji, Shri Oommen
Chandy, Hon’ble Chief Minister, officials of the Central and State Governments,
distinguished delegates and participants, friends from the media, ladies and
gentlemen:
2, I am happy to be here in the midst of
celebrations of the ´Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas’ and in the session that is discussing the importance of
infrastructure development in the State of Kerala. I recall what the Hon’ble Chief Minister had
said during the “Emerging Kerala 2012”
conclave held recently. The Chief
Minister noted that “we have neglected infrastructure development. We know that if infrastructure is there,
investment will definitely come and job opportunities will open up.” The Chief Minister further added that his
main aim was to develop the infrastructure of the State with whatever possible
method.” Infrastructure development is
the need of the hour in our State today.
Kerala has changed and it is an investment-friendly State now that welcomes investors. This is the message
that this session wants to send to the world outside. What does an investor look for in a place for
investments? In one word, it is the
availability of sound logistics that would help him cut costs in areas such as
material handling, production and packaging, warehousing and transportation,
inventory and security.
3. Shri Sam Pitroda, the mentor to the
Government of Kerala, has his focus on ten major areas to develop and the most
important of them are: coastal transport, national waterways, development of Ayurveda system as this relates to a
vibrant tourism sector in the State, manufacturing corridor which suffered so
far for want of land that is scarce in the State, and good inducements that
would help us tide over the shortage of labour.
I would like to dwell in brief on these important areas that would have
a say on the strengthening of infrastructure in the State. When coastal transport, which has not been
given its due so far, is strengthened, this will result in reduction of road
traffic and in transport costs being brought down by up to 40 per cent. I need not say that this will not only benefit our people but the investors too in that this will cut their operating costs. The additional attractions are
the “Kochi International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT), locally known
as the Vallarpadam Terminal, a container trans-shipment facility and part of
Kochi Port, the upcoming Vizhinjam and Azhikkal projects, and 14 other minor
ports being developed now. The
Vallarpadam Terminal reduces our country’s dependence on foreign ports to
handle trans-shipment. I may also like
to add that Cabotage relaxation for the Vallarpadam Terminal has also been
taken up at the highest levels of the Government of India as this would ensure
development of trans-shipment hub ports, resulting in reduction of freight
charges – all indirect inducements to the investors to choose Kerala as a
preferred destination for investment.
4. On national waterways, there is an idea
to extend the Kollam-Kottappuram waterway to Kasaragod. Then, we have in pipeline the high speed
Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod corridor and the Kochi-Palakkad manufacturing
corridor which will add to infrastructure strengths of the State. The State does visualise acquisition of land as a problem but is hopeful of surmounting it with its readiness to give a good financial package for acquisition of land.
Similarly, the Kochi Metro, for
which the Foundation Stone was laid recently by our beloved Prime Minister,
will also be a major milestone in the overall infrastructure and logistics
development of Kochi in particular and the State in general. The project of the Kannur International
Airport is also coming up in a major way.
In a nutshell, an investor will have excellent infrastructure facilities
available to him on a platter from the day one of his setting foot in the
State.
5. There
are certain additional advantages that the State of Kerala offers to an
investor. Kerala’s strength can also be
spotted in the services sector. It has
the highest Human Development Index of all Indian States; its literacy rate is
the highest of any Indian State; it is least corrupt and ranks as India’s
cleanest. The State also has efficient
and talented work force. An investor
only has to tap and exploit these potentials that will be to his
advantage. Now talking about
apprehensions which naturally cross an investor’s mind: one, availability of
labour: Kerala with highest literacy level in the whole country naturally
suffers from the disadvantage of non-availability of unskilled workers. Attracting them into the State will be a
challenge which the State and the entrepreneurs wishing to do business in the
State can together face successfully.
Two, trade-unionism: it was a problem, but it is no longer a
problem: I may like to reiterate what
our Hon’ble Chief Minister had said some time back that Kerala had the lowest
figure in India for working days loss due to labour strikes and that militant
unionism is an old story that is no longer true.
6. Some
good news about the Kerala Trade Centre: its inauguration scheduled very
recently could not take place; otherwise the investors would have got this news
as sweetening their intentions to do business in Kerala. With its inauguration expected any time now,
let me assure the investors that the State of Kerala is going to transact
business dealings with investors, domestic and foreign, with minimum hassles in
one roof. It is a win-win situation for
the investors as well as the people of Kerala.
The state-of-the-art technologies that the Kerala Trade Centre boasts of
will ensure that the industrial research and development centre, the
information and resource centre, business and exhibition centre, an
international convention centre, quality testing lab, etc. will be finer
additions providing advanced communication facilities to businessmen eager to
do business in Kerala. I need not
emphasise that this is one more reason why investors must look at Kerala for
investment.
7. You all would have heard about the
Kochi refinery for whose expansion project, the foundation stone was laid by
our Hon’ble Prime Minister on the 7th of this January. The Kochi Refinery will be an important
landmark of Kerala insofar as infrastructure developmental activities are
concerned. The expansion project of the
Kochi Refinery will increase the refining capacity of the refinery by nearly 7
million tonnes, and the modernisation will result in the auto fuel being produced
complying with Euro IV and Euro V specification, in addition to the low value
refinery residue stream upgraded to value added products and production of
propylene. A refinery being an important
part of economic developmental activity, the expansion project will definitely
be in the interests of the investors planning their activities in the State of
Kerala.
8. Dear friends: the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2013 is
witnessing celebrations in myriad forms – all the while without losing sight of
the enormous contributions that you, the NRIs have been making towards the
development of our country. You will
remain forever in our minds and hearts holding a special place. As we bid adieu to you, it is with the
fervent hope that we will soon meet again, as entrepreneurs, as investors to contribute
your might for the development of the country, with renewed vigour
9. I congratulate all the Non-Resident
Indians, who have assembled here, on this happy occasion. We have not honoured you with these
celebrations; rather it is you who have honoured your motherland by your
presence here, by your eagerness to see how well and in whatever more ways that
you could contribute to the wellness of our dear land. We would like to see you not just as our
brothers and sisters visiting us, but also as business men and women with
creative ideas reserved for their motherland in entrepreneurship. I sincerely believe that as years roll by, an
NRI will come to become a brand name the world over not just for his singular achievements,
hard work and, above all, his love for peaceful co-existence, but also as an
emerging and successful business community of the world.
10. Thank you for giving me a patient
hearing. Let the resolution be: Strengthen us; let us strengthen ourselves,
let us strengthen our country.
JAI
HIND!
