Centre to invest Rs 5,000 crore in Kerala: Jairam Ramesh

Kochi, May 30 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh today said the Centre would invest around Rs 5,000 crore in Kerala in the next ten years.

Addressing a gathering at the ongoing golden jubilee celebrations of Kerala Students Union (KSU), the students' wing of the Congress here, Mr Ramesh said the investment would be used to develop tea, coffee, rubber, pepper, cashew, cardamom, coir and coconut sectors in the state.

''Nine closed tea gardens out of the 17 will be opened tomorrow and this would be a great achievement, as these gardens were non-operational for the last six to seven years,'' he said.

Mr Ramesh said the Centre was giving priority to the development of the state and a lot could be accomplished if the state government cooperated with the Centre and worked cohesively.

UNI