The Hindu Business Line : ‘IT industry in Kerala not hit by recession’

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov. 24 The Chief Minister, Mr V. S. Achuthanandan, has said that the global economic crisis had not affected the IT industry in the State and no case of retrenchment directly attributable to the same has been reported just yet.

Replying to questions in the State Assembly here on Monday, the Chief Minister, however, said that a committee has been constituted to look into the labour issues in the IT sector.

All labour laws were applicable to the IT companies, he emphasised. Work on the proposed Smart City project at Kochi would commence soon. No sops other than those already agreed upon are being extended to the promoters.

‘INTERESTS PROTECTED’

Interests of the State have been honoured while signing the deal with the promoters who have offered to provide about 90,000 job opportunities.

The global recessionary phase would not cause the Government to shelve immediate development plans pertaining to the industry, Mr Achuthanandan said.

The Government would go ahead with plan to develop IT parks in all the districts except Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam. IT parks would be set up at Mulavana in Kollam, Cherthala and Amabalapuzha, Cheemeni, Kannur, Kozhikode and Thrissur.

Replying to a different question, he said that there was no proposal to give interim relief to Government employees.

NEW RATION CARDS

The Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Mr C. Divakaran, has said that new ration cards would be issued in the State from December.

The Minister told the House that new laminated ration cards would be a comprehensive document giving out all information about a family. Work on issuing the cards was progressing.

Fair price markets to coincide with the Christmas season would be opened across the State from December 15. In this context, Mr Divakaran took exception to the fact that the Centre was planning to cut the rice quota for Above Poverty Line (APL) families in phases.

The Minister for Water Resources, Mr N. K. Premachandran, told the Assembly that the formation of a special cell for handling the Mullaperiyar case has helped the Government to present its arguments effectively.

The case is expected to come up at the Supreme Court on January 20, 2009.

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