Industrial growth an indicator of Kerala’s progress: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

The growth of industrial sector, in general, and the revival of public sector undertakings (PSUs), in particular, are indicators of the progress achieved by Kerala, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The State government took several constructive measures required for the growth of the PSUs it owns, and they have started yielding results, he said. “Many loss-making PSUs have been revived through modernisation and diversification in the last five years and turned profitable during the period. The State government will take measures for taking over the Central PSUs in the State, which the Central government is planning to close down,” he said.

The Chief Minister was inaugurating the newly built power transformer manufacturing plant of the Kerala Electrical and Allied Engineering Co Ltd. (KEL), a public sector undertaking fully owned by the Government of Kerala, at the Kochi suburb of Mamala, and an electric vehicle-charging station set up by the company in association with PulsePower Electric Vehicles, an EV infrastructure firm.

Presiding over the function, State Industries Minister EP Jayarajan, urged PSUs, including KEL, to diversify into new areas as part of their modernisation. The Minister stated that the contract employees of PSUs who have completed 10 years will be made permanent.

He carried out the first sale of a power transformer by handing it over to P Kumaran, Director, Distribution, Kerala State Electricty Board (KSEB).

The plant was set up with an investment of ₹12.5 crore. The facility, with a annual production capacity of 1,500 MVA, is capable of manufacturing transformers with a capacity of up to 10 MVA.