SRIKAKULAM: About 451 micro, small and medium-scale industries were damaged in the cyclone. Majority of the damaged units, such as rice, granite and cashew units were affected and the loss was estimated at Rs 143 crore. The government has granted concessions, in form of extending the date for the payment of power bills and taxes. Besides paying compensation, the government has also decided to release the long-pending industrial incentives. Similarly, the loan repayments of the damaged industries will be rescheduled.
The government has released GO 124 granting several exemptions, said B Gopal Krishna, the general manager of the District Industries Centre. Granite industries, rice mills, cashew units and several other industries were affected in 12 mandals, due to the cyclone. While about 50 granite industries are affected and the loss is estimated at `14.99 crore, 155 cyclone-hit rice mills suffered a loss of `44.61 crore.
Similarly, while 197 cashew units incurred a loss of `67.71 crore, about 50 other industries such as saw mills, ice factories and cement-brick industries suffered a loss of about `15.79 crore. However, `25,000 compensation would be paid to micro industries, while small-scale industries would get `50,000, Gopal Krishna said. He also said that the compensation was applicable only to the industries which were registered with the District Industries Centre but not for the insured unit.
The government has also granted six months deferment of the payment of power bills and other taxes. The time frame of loan repayment of damaged industries would be rescheduled. The APIIC has decided to lay underground electricity cables to the industries, keeping in view the natural calamities. Moreover, the government decided to release the long-pending industrial incentives with immediate effect, Gopal Krishna said.