Foundry sector seeks skill centre in Coimbatore

The foundry industry today asked the Centre to start a skill centre here to attract more manpower to the industry.
Since more than 100-year-old industry in this region was considered a dirty and dangerous one, it was very difficult to get workers in this sector and a skill centre could attract youth to it, C R Swaminathan, past chair of Indian Institute of Foundrymen said.
"We do not want any subsidy, but require manpower," Swaminathan said in his study report on foundry industries, released by Union MSME Minister Kalraj Mishra here.
On the licensing issue, Swaminathan said the industry required both air and water pollution clearance. "However, there is no use of water, the water pollution clearance can be done away with," he said.

Another demand from the industry was to provide Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme to the sector for modernisation and expansion, he said, adding that Government should also consider zero duty import for equipment.
Similarly, the tenure of renewal of pollution certificate should be extended to three years from the present one year, Swaminathan said.