COVID cases have reduced, but threat remains: CM
Chief Minister MK Stalin on the sidelines of a function organised in Salem on Saturday to open the Mettur dam for delta irrigation, said the COVID-19 situation has come under control to an extent, but it was still there.
Chennai
“When we formed the government, the daily caseload was over 36,000 cases. Situation was such that the daily caseload was predicted to cross 60,000. Hence, we had planned and enforced complete lockdown,” said the Chief Minister.
“It has gradually decreased to lower than 16,000 (on Friday). In Chennai, it was over 7,000. Now it is less than 1000 cases. In Coimbatore, it has come down from 7,000 to 2,000 cases per day, he added.
“Bed and oxygen shortage was completely solved. We had set up a war room in Chennai. It had received 4,768 calls in a day on May 20. It has come down to 200 now. We will reduce it further,” the CM said.
Meanwhile, asked about reopening TASMAC liquor shops, he said, “Lockdown is implemented with some relaxations. In western region, even those relaxations were not given. In a few districts, the impact of Corona has reduced. On that basis, the concession was extended to TASMAC shops too.”
State modifies GO to offer incentives to O2 producers
Tamil Nadu government has announced several incentives, including 30% capital subsidy over five years in equal installments to liquid medical oxygen plants commencing commercial production on or before December 31, 2022.
In his June 8 dated order, the state industries department secretary N Muruganandam referred to requests received from two firms for setting up oxygen plants in the state and said, “After examining the request made by the companies, government hereby orders that the liquid medical oxygen plants with minimum capacity of 10 MT/day, having minimum investment of Rs 50 crore, shall be given a capital subsidy of 30% over five years in equal installments, if they can commence commercial production on or before December 31, 2022 within investment period of January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022.”
The government has also modified an earlier GO issued in this regard to extend incentives to oxygen plants. The incentives include land allotment at 10% concessional rate and 50% stamp duty concession payable on lease or purchase of land/shed/buildings for industrial use for eligible projects in SIPCOT in A and B districts. A concession of 50% of the land rate and 100% stamp duty would be offered in parks promoted by SIPCOT/SIPCOT joint ventures and SIDCO in C category districts.
Also announced are electricity tax incentives (for 5 years), training subsidy, intellectual property creation and quality certification incentive for plants. As per GO, M/s INOX Air Products Pvt Ltd, one of largest suppliers of medical oxygen in Tamil Nadu having units in Manali, Salem and Tirunelveli, have proposed to set up a 200TPD state-of-art ultra high pure Cryogenic Medical and Industrial Gases Plant in Hosur at investment of Rs 150 crore.
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