The Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (Kassia), an apex body of small scale industry sector in the State, has sought Chief Minister's intervention for effective co-ordination among the department and process simplification.

The Association President, Mr Prakash N. Raikar, and other office bearers of Kassia met the Chief Minister, Mr D.V. Sadananda Gowda, and apprised him of problems faced by small scale sector.

Kassia has requested the Chief Minister to facilitate a conference under his chairmanship inviting all the departmental heads connected with the small industries so that problems relating to co-ordination and inter departmental domains could be sorted out without any loss of time to facilitate healthy development of small scale industries.

“The Small Industry Segment has to deal with several government departments and developmental institutions in their day to day activities. Effective co-ordination among the department will greatly help the process simplification,” said Mr Raikar.

“We have been pleading for an early opportunity of the chief minister for arranging one such conference with all departmental heads in order to ensure better co-operation and co-ordination among the departments in matters connected with the development of small industries. Such a meeting was held about six years back and it is long over due,” he added.

Trade license

Kassia in its meeting with chief minister apprised him of issues related to trade license. The concept of trade license originated initially towards complementing the revenue of the local authorities by imposing a levy on hotels, shops, retail units etc., in their areas broadly falling in the category of trade, is nowadays encompassing the units in the industries also. Majority of the enterprises feel that since the industries are governed by several other acts, the insistence on trade license is an anomaly.

Mr Raikar said, “For an industry which is already under the jurisdiction of multiple acts such as MSMED, Factories Act, Shops & Establishment Act, ESI & PF Act which are of statutory nature it is an added burden to the small entrepreneur which dilutes its attention from the productive angle proving detrimental to the growth of the industries. Therefore it is our earnest request that the requirement of trade license to industrial segment is dispensed with.”

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW