Karunanidhi promises uniform industrial development across State:

Karunanidhi promises uniform industrial development across State:

CHENNAI: The State Government will take steps to ensure uniform industrial development across the State, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said on Friday. 

• People now wanted the establishment of factories in villages and interior parts of the State, not just in and around Chennai, the Chief Minister said, inaugurating the third plant of a battery manufacturing facility of the TAFE (Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited) Power Source at Maraimalainagar, about 40 km from Chennai.

• Comparing the performance of his Government in the last 13 months on the industrial front with that of the previous AIADMK regime, he said while five memoranda of understanding were signed for projects costing about Rs. 2,200 crore when the AIADMK was in power, 10 MoUs were signed during the present DMK regime for projects involving an investment of Rs. 9,710 crore. 
  
  Mr. Karunanidhi recalled his association with A. Sivasailam, chairman of Amalgamations Group, and explained how the latter had come to his rescue when allegations were made against him (Mr Karunanidhi) in the 1970s after the industrialist donated a tractor to him in London.

• The Chief Minister referred to the establishment and growth of the battery manufacturing facility and said till now, 20 million batteries had been produced. 

• Tracing the growth of the group, Mr. Sivasailam said Rs. 300 crore had been invested in Maraimalainagar. 

• Noting that the State had become a destination of information technology sector, he appealed to the Chief Minister to provide support to engineering, manufacturing and textile sectors, which employed thousands of people.

• Jayshree Venkatraman, Director of TAFE, and Indira Sivasailam were among those present. 

• A press release issued by the company said the TAFE Power Source had tied up with BB Battery Company Limited, China, in a technology transfer partnership. This would result in TPS manufacturing and marketing high standard valve-regulated lead acid batteries in India and a host of south Asian countries under the brand name of AMCO BEST.