No plans to shift CIPET from Chennai

The Centre today said it has no plans to shift the head office of the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET) from Chennai and instead wants to set up an alternative headquarters in the national capital.
Union Minister for Chemical and Fertiliser Ananth Kumar also said that the Centre is also planning to open regional headquarters of CIPET to support its expansion.
"The Chennai headquarters of CIPET will continue. We will have an alternative headquarters in New Delhi for operational purposes and we will have regional headquarters also," Kumar told PTI when asked about the controversy over reported plans to shift CIPET's Chennai head office.

"Therefore, there is no question of any shifting of the headquarters from Chennai," he emphasised.
On DMK's demand for PM's intervention in this matter, Kumar said, "Our stand is clear. Our stand is we are not shifting anything. We are expanding the CIPET and restructuring the whole thing."
The Minister said that the Centre is expanding CIPET and has already added 16 centres in the last two and half years.
"We are expanding CIPET. We had in the beginning of the Modi government 23 centres training 45,000 students. Now, the number has increased from 23 to 39. 16 more has been added. And many more are to come. Therefore, we are planning to restructure CIPET with an alternative headquarters in New Delhi also," he said.

Last week, DMK had demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to withdraw the proposal to shift head office of CIPET from Chennai.