Micro Unit Entrepreneurs Plan Protest
J. James, president of Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Micro Enterprises, speaking at a meeting of the association held in Coimbatore on Friday. The Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Micro Enterprises plans to organise a protest here on January 7 demanding measures from the Central and State Governments to assist the micro and cottage units that are in a crisis now. This was decided at a meeting of the association held here on Friday. Its president J. James told ‘The Hindu’ that the economic slowdown and the power shortage had resulted in several problems for the micro units. Coimbatore had thousands of these units taking up job work for the larger industries.
These units were in a crisis now and the State Government should facilitate availability of Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh long-term cash loan through the District Industries Centre for them. Or for those who had taken the loans, a two-year moratorium should be granted. Those who had taken personal loans from private banks, should be provided protection as the banks were pressuring them to repay the loans, he said. Most of the micro units were operating in rented buildings. With the Coimbatore Corporation increasing property tax, the rental had gone up in the city. The association appealed to the State Government to establish industrial estates on five to 20 acres for such units.
