Suggests giving highest priority to investing in the things concerned with environment protection
Asks to use made-in-India inks in printing Indian currency notes
Chief Minister Narendra Modi has asked the Central government and the chemical and petrochemical industries to give highest priority to investing in the things concerned with environment protection.
While inaugurating ‘INDIA CHEM Gujarat-2011’, three-day international exhibition and conference on specialty chemicals, at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar today Chief Minister said that industries can now no longer afford to be indifferent towards the issues of environment and that they should discard the mentality of treating the investment for environment protection as a dead investment. The mega event will be participated by about 300 business-owners of the country and the world over.He said that Indian government should come up with the directives for the banking and finance institutions that they give first priority to the aspect of environment protection while passing the loans to the industries.
Chief Minister outlined the state government’s planning to set up about 25 Centre of Excellence under Public Private Partnership to cater to the need of skilled manpower in the chemical and petrochemical industry.
Mr Modi suggested that Central government should use made-in-India industrial ink in the printing of currency notes instead of relying on imported ink. “If the ink produced in India is being used by other countries for their currency notes, why can’t India use its own ink for Indian currency notes and why should Central government spend crores of rupees for buying the foreign ink”, he questioned.
He also suggested that even as Gujarat contributes over 80 percent of country’s Castor production and as the castor can be used in the production of over 300 industrial chemicals, Gujarat’s industrialists should focus on researching on using castor in their products.
Chief Minister said that state government’s approach of setting up a common treatment affluent plant has helped many industrial units to become environment-friendly. He also called upon the industrialists to capture the global markets by upgrading the technology and production methods.
Speaking on the occasion Minister of State for Industries Saurabh Patel said that Gujarat has achieved higher industrial growth due to the positive and business-friendly policies of the state government. In Gujarat the land related issues never happen as the land acquisition for setting up industries is done with the consensus of land-owners, he said.
State government has setup world-class infrastructural facilities to help the industries. Dahej PCPIR and the 13 SEZ which are being developed by the state government will prove important moves in giving boost to the chemical industry in Gujarat, Mr Patel said.
Describing Gujarat as the petrochemical hub Mr R V Kanoriya, Senior Vice President of FICCI, said that Gujarat produces 62 percent of petrochemicals and 51 percent of chemicals of the country. Chemical industry needs big investments, infrastructure and knowledge for its growth. The industry can be given a boost by setting up of special chemical zones, he said.
President of Dyestuff Manufacturer Association Shankar Patel, about 50 buyers of chemical products from different countries, leading chemical manufactures-traders of Gujarat and the other states and high officials were present on the occasion. Principal Secretary to Industries and Mines department Maheshwar Sahu delivered welcome address.
