Trade unions taken into confidence, no fear of disruptions now: Kerala CM to industry

Asserting that trade unions have been taken into confidence against any unhealthy practices, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said now the industrialists in the state would not complain of any disruptions by workers.

"Kerala had for quite some time suffered from an impression that it was not an investor-friendly state. But that has changed. Now the investors enjoy total confidence in Kerala. Whatever unhealthy practices existed in isolated pockets, those have been resolved by taking the trade unions into confidence," he said while speaking during Invest Kerala 2020 campaign on Tuesday.

He also warned the trade unions if unhealthy tendencies lurk their head again, the authorities would take stern action.

During the campaign, the chief minister launched an Investment Facilitation Centre, dedicated toll-free call service and the updated version of the single-window clearance portal (K-Swift), besides unveiling the e-News Letter, "Investor Konnect", of the Department of Industries and Commerce through videoconferencing.

Asserting that Kerala offered the best investment ambience and opportunities in a wide range of sectors, Industries Minister E P Jayarajan, who presided over the function, said, manufacturing of health and medicinal products and devices was an area that would offer great scope in the post-pandemic period.

Noting that the recent Ease of Doing Business ranking of states by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade was not based on scientific assessment, Jayarajan said the state government had written to the Centre about this.

The upgraded version of Kerala Single Window Interface for Fast and Transparent Clearance (K-Swift 2.0) will considerably reduce the strain of physical interaction by entrepreneurs for securing licences and clearances.

Launched in 2019, K-Swift has on-board 16 departments and agencies for issuing as many as 33 licenses, clearance and permits.

Earlier this year, the Kerala government hosted Global Investors Meet -- Ascend 2020 -- in Kochi in January.

( With inputs from ANI )