From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Oct 17: All electricity supplies companies (ESCOMs) in the State have been asked to supply power to small scale industries (SSIs) located in taluks and district headquarters through separate feeder lines, Karantaka’s Small Scale Industries Minister Narasimha Naik (Raju Gowda) on Monday.

Naik said he had written letters to managing directors of all five Escoms to provide regular power to small units through separate feeder lines in taluks and districts.

Production in a large number of small units has been adversely affected due to frequent power disruptions in districts and taluks.

There were 4.17 lakh small scale units in the State and a majority of them are located in Bangalore.

The Minister said a single window agency would be set up in districts for early clearance of permissions required to set up industries. The agency would be headed by deputy commissioners in districts.

The department has chalked out a plan to make available 50,000 jobs by encouraging entrepreneurs to set up 5000 units by 2012.

A meeting of entrepreneurs would be held on October 29 at Chikmagalur to discuss various issues, Naik said.

Pending subsidy of Rs. 50 crore has been released to small units recently. An outstanding subsidy of Rs. 160 crore would be released in a phased manner, he said.

In a bid to help in generating demand for products manufactured by small units, the health department officials have been asked to place orders for garment products manufactured by garment units in Chitradurga.

The government run hospitals could use bed sheets and pillow covers manufactured by garment units, he said.