The Indian Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, Coimbatore
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Chamber Activities




 June 2010 


The Truth about Tigers

A movie - The Truth about Tigers - was screened at a meeting jointly organized by our Chamber and OSAI on 28-5-2010.

Shri Shekar Dattatri, wildlife and conservation film maker explained to the members about this documentary film. Shri Arvind Pinto, IRS, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax graced the occasion as Chief Guest.

Shri Mahendra Ramdas welcomed the members and Shri D. Nandakumar proposed vote of thanks.

Appeal to the Chief Minister

As discussed and decided at our Governing Council meeting held on 10-5-2010 our Chamber submitted a memorandum to Hon’ble Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu pleading for representation for the trade and industry in the Upper House (MLC) of Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Upgradation of Coimbatore Airport

We have submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minster Dr. Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi and Dr. M.K. Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and also to Shri Praful Patel, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation pleading for upgradation of Coimbatore Airport to “International Airport” and also name it as “Thiruvalluvar International Airport”.

We have pointed out that Coimbatore region is a highly industrial hub and a growing vibrant metropolitan, earning a sizable amount of foreign exchange by way of exports. The Airport at Peelamedu is fully equipped with adequate infrastructure facilities including night landing facilities.

In view of all these important aspects, we urged the Civil Aviation Minister that the status of Coimbatore Airport should be upgraded and name as “Thiruvalluvar International Airport” after the great Tamil poet saint Thiruvalluvar.

Copies of our memorandum have been sent to District Collector Dr. P. Umanath, IAS and Shri D. Napoleon, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment with a request to them to take up this issue with the Civil Aviation Minister appropriately. We have also appealed to the Governor of Tamil Nadu Shri Surjit Singh Barnala to recommend this issue to the Central Government to achieve fruitful results.

Central Excise Regional Advisory Committees Meeting

Our Hon. Secretary Shri D. Nandakumar attended the meetings of Regional Advisory Committee and Watch Dog Public Grievances Committee of Central Excise held on 10th June 2010 since Shri V. Lakshminarayanasamy was out of station.

Power

Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) issued an Order dt. 31-5-2010 granting permission for payment of excess demand charges and energy charges for peak hours in 8 equated monthly installments, with the condition that the first installment should be paid before 15-6-2010. This information was circulated to all our Members for necessary compliance.

Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board Consent Fee

The Tamil Nadu Government had revised the rates of Consent Fee for different categories of industries. Since the revision was very exorbitant and had caused a big burden on the industry which is already suffering from power shortage and shortage of labour, we have represented to the State Government and also to Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to review and reduce the fee.

Though the TNPC Board has informed that the increase is inevitable and could not be reduced, subsequently the Government has considered and reduced the fee by 40 to 50 percent from 1st April 2010 and issued an order which we have circulated to all our members.

Release of Members Directory

After release of the Members Directory at the Governing Council meeting held on 10-5-2010, copies have been sent to all the members, all the advertisers and also to all the Chambers of Commerce in Southern Region and FICCI, ASSOCHAM, CII etc. Members appreciated the efforts of the Chamber in bringing out this directory.

Contribution to Tamil Meet

In response to an appeal received from Shri C.R. Swaminathan, President of RAAC for contribution of Rs. 1 lakh to the Coffee Table Book on Coimbatore given to the VIP delegates who attended the Tamil Meet at Coimbatore. Around 3,500 books were printed for distribution. Our Honourable Chief Minister who saw the book desired that this book should be given to the delegates.

This proposal was considered and approved both at the meetings of Office Bearers (held on 7-6-2010) and Governing Council (held on 14-6-2010).

Coimbatore Medical College Hospital Upgradation

Dr. Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has announced sanction of an initial amount of Rs. 50 crores for upgradation of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on the occasion of its Centenary Celebrations.

President Meet Chief Minister

On 22-6-2010 our President Shri Mahendra Ramdas along with Shri C.R. Swaminathan, Shri S.V. Balasubramaniam, Shri Ravisam, Smt. Nandini Rangaswamy and Shri T. Gundan, Ex. MLA met the Hon’ble Chief Minister at Coimbatore and thanked him for creation of various infrastructure facilities in Coimbatore on account of World Classical Tamil Conference. This was only a courtesy call and no other issues were represented to him.

ESI Schemes and Hospital

Our Chamber has submitted a memorandum to Shri Mallikarjun Kharge and Shri Harish Rawat, Hon’ble Union Minister and Union Minister of State for Ministry of Labour and Employment respectively regarding ESI schemes and hospitals. In order to make the contribution made to ESI useful to the employees our Chamber submitted some of the suggestions (given below) as received from our Members of trade and industry of this region.

a) The running of the medical facilities should be separated from the insurance coverage. The insured should be free to seek the medical care from any of the approved medical facilities just like the Kappidu Thittam for poor offered by the Government of Tamil Nadu. By providing an element of competition, the medical facilities to the insured will improve.

b) There should be a Cell in each taluk to supervise the medical facilities run by ESI. The Cell should include the insured and employers. The representatives of the insured and the employers should be elected by them and not nominated by the ESI Corporation or the Governments. This would ensure the accountability of these representatives.

c) Other insurance companies, and facilitators like Star Health Insurance, should be encouraged to provide insurance cover on par with ESI.

d) The employers should be permitted to opt for insurance cover from any source, provided it is on par with or better than the cover offered by the ESIC.

Unless the monopoly of ESIC is removed the insured will not get the value for the money paid to ESIC. Further unless ESIC facilities and cover offered are supervised by the stakeholders, they will continue to be poor.

We also appealed to the Government that before making any upward revision in the wage limit, Central Government should consult the industry.

All the wages components and overtime and all allowances are taken into consideration for ESI contribution deduction. It is very unfair.

We suggested that Government should have amended the ESI Act, 1948 restricting ESI contribution only to basic pay and dearness allowances.

Similar representations have also been sent to Shri T.M. Anbarasan, Tamil Nadu Minister for Labour and Employment and also to the Secretaries of this Department both at the Centre and the State Governments.

We have also requested FICCI, ASSOCHAM, AIOE and SICCI to take up this issue with both the Governments so as to achieve fruitful results.

World Classical Tamil Conference

The Commissioner of Police Shri C. Sylendra Babu IPS organsied a meeting on 5-6-2010 to discuss the traffic arrangements during World Classical Tamil Conference held from 23rd to 27th June 2010 at Coimbatore.

Our President and Shri C. Balasubramanian our Past Office Bearer along with few of our members and representatives of other affiliated associations- namely Rice Merchants Association, Lorry Owners Association, Maligai Merchants Association, etc. participated in the meeting.

The Commissioner of Police requested our President and others to extend fullest support and co-operation to maintain traffic arrangements during Tamil Meet for the convenience of the visiting delegates to the conference.

In continuation with the meeting and the subjects discussed therein our Chamber has submitted a brief representation to the Commissioner of Police on the following points which are related to the traffic arrangements during Tamil Meet for the convenience of the people of the city.

On Wednesday, 23rd June 2010 during the time of procession access should be available to hospitals like GKNM, Ramakrishna Hospital, GEM Hospital, Kidney Centre etc. There should not be any hassle for patients coming not only by ambulances but also cars and autos.

We have also requested for posting of few traffic officials to take care of traffic in the side roads branching off from like Race Course, Pappanaicken Palayam Road, Puliakulam Road and Peelamedu Road, Bharathi Nagar, Thaneer Pandal road etc. which may be clogged during the procession days for the convenience of several residents located in these sectors.

Chamber also urged the Commissioner to issue passes for the vehicles of essential services, like milk and vegetables etc. We also insisted the Commissioner of Police to clarify through press release about the traffic arrangements made for all the five days so that public would feel free and they carry out their day to day affairs without any hindrance.

In response to our representation we have received a reply from Shri S. Nizamuddin IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police Traffic, intimating us the traffic arrangements made in the city during Tamil Meet which was circulated to all our Members for information.

It was also mentioned that on 23-6-2010 the entire Avinashi Road would be utilized for conference procession and other VVIPs welcoming etc. Due to this, container load lorries will not be permitted.

We have also appealed to Dr. P. Umanath IAS, District Collector to take post conference special efforts to clean up the city and also for preventive measures to avoid any outbreak of diseases.

President briefed all the above to the Governing Council members at its meeting held on 14-6-2010.