Chief Minister resolves entrepreneur's one-year land document delay in an hour

KOCHI: An entrepreneur who spent nearly a year running from one government office to another to obtain documents for his industrial project finally got relief within an hour after bringing the issue to the attention of Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan.

Joshy Thomas, a native of Angamaly, has now been allotted land for a paint manufacturing unit in the Kanjikode Industrial Area following the Chief Minister's intervention. Despite having paid the required amount for the plot, Joshy had been unable to obtain the necessary documents for almost a year, despite repeated visits to various government offices.

The payment had been made through the Palakkad District Industries Centre. While the land was surveyed, the required sketch was not issued by the Tahsildar's office. According to Joshy, officials kept delaying the process with various excuses.

Last Sunday, Joshy happened to watch an interview of Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Facebook. During the interaction, the Chief Minister said entrepreneurs would be treated with respect and would not be subjected to unnecessary delays.

Encouraged by the statement, Joshy posted a comment describing his experience. Within 30 minutes, he received a call from Anil Kumar, a secretary from the Chief Minister's Office. The official collected details of the concerned officers and assured him that the matter would be looked into. About half an hour later, Joshy received another call informing him that he could collect the required documents the next day.

Joshy and his wife Soumya visited the Taluk Office on Monday morning. Although the Tahsildar was on leave that day, officials informed them that the sketch would be signed and issued the following day. They received the document on Tuesday and signed the agreement with the Industries Centre the very next day.

Rs 2 crore paint manufacturing unit
Joshy and Soumya have been active in the industrial sector for the past 32 years. Their company, Soumya Polymers, manufactures paint under the brand name "Flowers" in Kanjikode. The couple is now preparing to launch a new unit, Allen Polymers, with an expected investment of Rs 2 crore. Construction and production activities are expected to begin soon.

Expressing their gratitude, Joshy and Soumya said they now believe their long-held dreams and business ambitions will finally become a reality.