Steps to strengthen small industries on

Visakhapatnam: The district administration is making all out efforts to strengthen the micro, small and medium industries. A seminar in this regard will be conducted here on Friday in which Union Minister Kalraj Misra will be the chief guest.

Addressing a review meeting with the officials here on Thursday, Collector Praveen Kumar said the idea was to encourage youth to set up industries. He said a committee has been set up with retired managing directors of BHPV, RINL and Hindustan Shipyard, who will submit a report on how to develop the small industries, within two months. The members will also interact with the major industries in this regard.

He said the district has 16 public sector undertakings and they would be asked to purchase necessary material from the small industries. A meeting with these PSUs will be held soon, the Collector added.

Members from CII and FICCI told the Collector that the small industries have been facing marketing problems and also not getting loans from banks easily. The entrepreneurs need to be trained in the marketing and the banks should come forward to give hassle free loans without which it would be difficult for the micro and small industries to survive.

These issues would be discussed in the seminar to be addressed by the Union Minister, the Collector told the participating members.

CII representative Shiv Kumar and DIC general manager A Ramalingeswara Rao were present at the meeting.