Summary:
The story is equally, if not more, heartbreaking when it comes to small and medium industrial units, which are the backbone of the State’s industrial employment scene. The government and banks would have to extend solid assistance to revive the functioning of the MSME sector, says Kerala Small Industries Association State president Damodar Avanoor. Thousands of units, especially those in Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Alappuzha, and Pathanamthitta districts, have hit a dead-end. Banks have been directed to sanction loans without scrutinising the credit history of those seeking loans in the affected areas, she says. 2,900 unitsDirectorate of Industries has tentatively pegged the loss of about 2,900 registered units at about ?823 crore, but the Kerala Small Industries Association puts the total loss at ?5,000 crore..