Project Description
Since long, the Govt. of India have been endeavouring to promote industrial growth in our country, through various types of schemes. However, due to rapid changes and challenges thrown by the “Globalization”, the Govt. of India moved further to accelerate the process of industrial development and designed a new scheme viz., Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (I.I.U.S.), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. The scheme envisages improvement of physical infrastructure in selected industrial locations, which have potential to become globally competitive. Initial instructions of this scheme were received around Jan. 2003. Since Kolhapur has a strong base of the Foundry and allied Engineering Industries, the Govt. of India were kind enough to select “Kolhapur Foundry and Engineering Cluster”, as one of the clusters to extend the benefits of the new scheme.
We would like to clarify here that the entire project is being coordinated by Kolhapur Engineering Association, since beginning. As advised by the Govt. of India, we have formulated a “Special Purpose Vehicle (S.P.V.)”, on 12-01-2006, to co-ordinate the implementation of the project, smoothly and efficiently. The then Chairman of Kolhpur Engg. Association (Shri. Rampratap Zanvar) was heading the S.P.V. till June2007 and the other members were senior representatives of the respective sub-clusters e.g. Shri. L.K Akiwate, Founder Chairman of L. K. Akiwate Ind. Co-op. Estate Ltd., Jaysingpur; Shri Ashokrao Mane, Chariman of Chh. Shahu Ind. Co-op. Estate, Shirol, Shri. Ram Menon, Shri. Prakash Rathod, Shri. G.V.Vaze, from SMAK; Shri. R.P.Patil, Shri. Rajendra Bhatwadekar etc. On 10 July 2007, the Chairmanship has been handed over to Shri L.K. Akiwate (who is also a Senior Freedom-Fighter & Founder Chairman of L. K. Akiwate Ind. Co-op. Estate Ltd., Jaysingpur), and since then he has been closely following the various developments.
