The Hindu Business Line : Kochi to host biz-technology meet

Thiruvananthapuram March 22 The Kerala Government will hold a business-technology meet in Kochi as part of its efforts to attract investments to the State.

The meet would be held in June or July this year, the Industries Minister, Mr Elamaram Kareem, said in the Assembly on Thursday.

the Minister said the Government was planning to organise investors' meets and road shows in the country and abroad to promote Kerala as an investor-friendly destination. The Global Investors Meet held by the previous government in Kochi had brought in investments of Rs 377 crore.

Mr.Kareem said that steps had been initiated to reduce procedural delays in issuing clearances for starting new industries. The Single Window Act would be amended to facilitate speedy clearance of proposals.

The Shobha group had shown interest to set up a hi-tech city in Kochi at an outlay of Rs 5,000 crore. The venture was expected to generate 54,000 jobs. The Government was also examining a proposal by a Malaysian company to establish a satellite city at Kinalur in Kozhikode district.

He said the Government was not opposed to the concept of special economic zones and they would be set up in a manner conducive to the State.

When all the other States were racing ahead in the matter of industrialisation, Kerala could not afford to lag behind, he added.

He said the State Government had decided to hand over Kerala Hitech Industries Ltd (Keltec) to the Defence Department. This was expected to bring in investments of around Rs 300 crore. The Health Minister, Ms P.K. Sreemathi, informed the House that drug information centres would be set up in government hospitals to create public awareness about the use of drugs and their possible side-effects.

The Government would regulate home nursing courses conducted by private institutions, she said.

The Transport Minister, Mr Mathew T. Thomas, said that speed governors should be installed in stage carriers and other vehicles in the State before April 15.

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