Kerala to form company to channel NRK investment: CM

Thiruvananthapuram, May 17 (UNI) Kerala will form a company to attract and channel investments from Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) for development purposes, Chief Minister V S Achutanandan today said.

Addressing newspersons on the eve of the second anniversary of the CPI (M)-led LDF Government, he said the government had initiated several programmes for the welfare of the expatriate Keralities and in bringing sustainable development of the state.

All NRKs, irrespective of the amount, can invest in the company, he said and added the government would guarantee the investments.

Stating the Santhwanam Project for expatriate Keralities had been liberalised, Mr Achutanandan said the government had initiated many welfare programmes for the NRKs.

The government was able to bring in sustainable development in all sectors and had taken initiatives for solving agricultural crisis and farmer's problems, bringing in new ventures like Smart city in Kochi and the Vizhinjam Deep Sea International Container Terminal and revitalising sick industrial units.

In the agrarian sector, the government would write off all debts of farmers. Mr Achutanandan said rice production had increased in Kuttanad and Palakkad because of the right policies taken by his government.

In the IT sector, the Smart City Project in Kochi would attract many investors and also provide employment to many.

When asked about the Munnar demolition drive, which was initiated by him after he was sworn in as Chief Minister, he said efforts were on to evacuate the encroachers from the government lands.

He also said a ''New Munnar'' would come up in a very scientific manner.

Asked if the government proposed to take up any new social welfare scheme in the state, Mr Achutanandan said from the beginning his government had been involved in initiating welfare programmes.

It was not possible for a single government to bring in social change in the society.

''When a government starts some welfare programmes, the successive governments that come would have their own views on it and may scuttle the whole programme,'' the Chief Minister said.

He also stressed that development in Kerala was possible only if the state had a stable government similar to West Bengal.

''Sustainable development is possible if a government is allowed to continue to rule the state for long,'' he said.

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