The Kerala State Small Industries Association has welcomed the move by the State government to introduce a centralised and unified system to inspect factory premises. Industries Minister P. Rajeeve said on July 5 that the government was looking at forming a system of unified inspections instead of different departments carrying out checks on industrial units.
Industries in the State would be categorised for the purpose of holding inspections. Low-risk industries would be subjected to minimum official oversight and inspections on high-risk category units would be carried out after proper intimation.
President of Kerala State Small Industries Association M. Khalid said it had been a long-standing demand of industries in the State that the government should introduce a unified system of inspections to help industries.
The government has said that each of the departments involved in carrying out inspections will prepare a list of officials who will be part of the inspection team. It has also been decided that reports on inspections would be uploaded on the Industries Department website within 48 hours and that the reports would be made available to unit owners.
The decision comes in the wake of allegations by the Kitex group of companies in Kochi that 11 inspections were conducted on its factory premises in Kizhakkambalam in the month of June and that none of those who inspected the company premises issued notices to the company about the findings of the inspections. Sabu M. Jacob, managing director of Kitex Garments, had protested against these inspections and declared that he would withdraw from further investments in the State.
Mr. Khalid said that other States in the country had already introduced a unified system of inspections and that the association had appealed to the Kerala government to follow the example. He said the State should have a unified action plan and rule for allotment of land for industrial units instead of different agencies and departments taking decisions. A single window clearance system for grievances was among the demands raised by the industries. Mr. Khalid said the government was working on these demands and expressed satisfaction that the issues were being considered on a priority basis.
