5 multipurpose industrial zones in 5,100 acres.

The revised budget presented by Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac recently proposes the creation of five multipurpose industrial zones in 5,100 acres and a hi-tech industrial corridor on the Kochi-Coimbatore route.

An amount of Rs.5,100 crore has been earmarked for the proposed industrial zones at Panayathuparambu (1,000 acres), Thodupuzha (900 acres), Mankada (700 acres), Vizhinjam (500 acres) and Kasaragod (500 acres). The industrial corridor involves the acquisition of 500 acres each in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts and Ozhalapathi- Kannambra. Another industrial corridor has been proposed on the Kochi-Palakkad route.

The budget proposes the constitution of an expert committee for the revival of the titanium industry. It has allocated Rs.100 crore for the revival of public sector undertakings.

Eleven KSIDC projects including the Life Science Park, Thiruvananthapuram; Electronics Hardware Park, Kochi; Industrial growth centres at Alappuzha, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur; the Life Engineering Park, Palakkad; Mega Food Park at Cherthala, and Petrochemical Park, Kochi have together been allocated Rs.87 crore. An outlay of Rs.101 crore has been proposed for Kinfra to develop industrial parks at Punalur, Mattannur, Thrissur, Thodupuzha, Kalamassery, Kazhakuttam, Koratty, Kollam, Ottapalam, Palakkad and Ramanattukara.

Dr. Isaac has proposed Rs.1,325 crore over five years to create more workspace at the Kochi Innovation Zone, Technocity and Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram, and Cyber Park, Kozhikode. Financial aid scheme for 1,500 start-ups has been proposed. The start-up innovation zone, Kalamassery, gets Rs.60 crore.

Dr. Isaac has earmarked Rs.25 crore to provide free Wi-Fi connectivity at bus stands, railway stations, parks and grade 1 libraries. The Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment has been given an allocation of Rs.100 crore.

THE HINDU