Come September and the state will host ‘Emerging Kerala 2012,’ its big ticket effort to woo investors.
But, there is already a long list of investors who have expressed their intention to set base here, though the state machinery is yet to reciprocate their enthusiasm.
As many as 54 potential investors, already cleared by the state government, are waiting for land to be allotted at Kanjikode, the second largest industrial belt in the state.
The District Industries Centre (DIC), that had over the years allotted around 700 acres of land in the Kanjikode industrial area, no longer has any land in its possession.
This situation has come to pass as several private industrialists are sitting on excess land.
In some cases, the promoters have not set up their units even five years after land being allotted to them.
Between these two heads, around 30 acres are not being put to optimal use even as industrial units hold on to unutilised land given to them at throwaway rates - below `5,000 a cent.
Some of the big ticket industrial units that had excess land include the United Breweries Ltd and Marico Ltd, it is reliably learnt.
Additional Chief Secretary (Industries and Commerce) V Somasundaram said the government was aware that several industries possess unutilised land.
“The plots were allotted under various clauses - some on long-term lease and others assigned to them.
The government has proposed to bring in a uniform policy soon on the plots allotted for setting up industries,” Somasundaram said.