Several innovative schemes on the anvil

KOCHI: In a bid to make Kerala an ''investor-friendly destination'', the state government is planning to introduce several innovative schemes and proposals in the industrial, power and labour sectors, including permitting night shifts for women employees.
Addressing a day-long face-to-face session of successful entrepreneurs of the state, state Labour Minister Babu Divakaran said at present night shifts for women are permitted only in software industries. It could be extended in hardware, fish processing units and other sectors too.
The government is seriously thinking on these lines and efforts are on in this direction, he said.
Most entrepreneurs drew Government''s attention to the "militant labour" in the state, continuance of obsolete laws, which were causing hardships, and inadequate power supply.
Finance Minister K Sankaranarayanan, Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty, Electricity Minister Kadavoor Sivadasan and Divakaran fielded the questions, putting up a brave front.
The session was organised by State Industrial Development Corporation as a prelude to the Global Investors Meet, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in November in Kochi.