PRESIDENT, North Eastern Small Scale Industries Association (NESSIA) Sailen Baruah has welcomed the Centre’s move to restore the NE excise duty exemption to those industries which have continued their operation even after the exemption was withdrawn in 2001, with a condition that the industries will re-invest the profit for the development of the local area. NESSIA held a joint meeting with Assam Entrepreneurs Association and other SSI organisations. NESSIA urged the Centre to lay down specific guidelines for the implementation of the NE Industrial Policy. NESSIA also urged that no excise and other incentives should be allowed to industries, which do not have proper machineries. The meeting also sought the intervention of the Centre in not allowing industries to shift or wind up operations with out the consent of the State government. On the employment front, the meeting resolved to ensure 90 per cent local employment in all categories from skilled to managerial cadre. In the meeting, Mukul Borkataki, vice-president NESSIA, NE region highlighted the names of various industries, which left the State after withdrawal of excise duty benefit by the Centre, leaving thousands jobless.

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