The Hindu Business Line : Kerala khadi products to be exported to W. Asia

THE Kerala Khadi and Village Industries Board has received the licence for exporting khadi and other products to foreign countries. Following this, the board has initiated steps to export the products to West Asian countries, according to the Minister for Rural Development, Mr C.F. Thomas.

He said here on Thursday that the Government would distribute Rs 5.02 crore as margin money grant to 469 units under the rural employment scheme. Besides, the Board has sanctioned the establishment of a paper carry-bag manufacturing unit in Ernakulam district.

Under the rural employment scheme, the Government was able to create 18,902 employments through 2,041 rural industrial units during the last four years. These units, with a total investment of around Rs 80 crore, were given margin money grant to the tune of Rs 23.90 crore received from the Centre. The Minister said new projects worth Rs 75 crore would be submitted to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) for approval under its Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) scheme.

During the current year, a total of Rs 115.42 crore would be given to district, block and village panchayats in the ratio of 20:30:50 under the "sampoorna gramin rozgar yojana" scheme for creation of social assets and basic infrastructure in rural areas. Besides, work on 100 roads being laid under the Prime Minister's "grama sadak yojana" scheme would be completed in the current year. At the same time, the Government would seek approval from the Centre for new road projects worth Rs 50 crore, Mr Thomas said.

The Kerala State Sericulture Co-operative Federation Ltd (Serifed) will take up mulberry cultivation of over 600 acres more in the current year in a bid to raise cocoon production to 150 tonnes and the silk yarn production to 15 tonnes.

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