"Dismayed": Shashi Tharoor On Kerala Startups Days After Remark Sparked Row

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday backtracked on his stance regarding industrial growth in Kerala, stating that the state needs more MSME start-ups — not just on paper.

Sharing a news report from an English daily on 'X', Mr Tharoor expressed disappointment over the state's start-up ecosystem, saying it was not as promising as reported.

"Dismayed to see that the Kerala start-up entrepreneurship story is not what's been reported," he posted.

The news report he shared claimed that over 42,000 MSMEs had shut down in Kerala over the past nine years, resulting in the loss of employment for at least 1,03,764 workers.

"The only silver lining is that at least the GoK's claims point to the right intentions. We need more MSME start-ups— and not just on paper. Kerala must head this way!" his post added.

However, State Industries Minister P Rajeeve dismissed the news report as "baseless." "I provided a detailed reply in the Assembly on February 10. Recently, Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal stated in Parliament that 1,700 MSMEs shut down in Kerala over the past four years," he said.

Mr Rajeeve further pointed out that while 30 per cent of MSMEs in the country shut down within their first year, the figure in Kerala was only 15 per cent.

He alleged that the report was published with ulterior motives, as it did not cite the source of its figures.

Mr Tharoor's recent remarks on Kerala's industrial growth sparked controversy within the Congress state unit.

The Congress Working Committee member ruffled feathers in the party after writing an article in an English daily praising the industrial policy of the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala.

Notably, the Thiruvananthapuram MP's post came just two days after the Congress leadership held a brainstorming session with Kerala leaders at the party headquarters in New Delhi to strategise for next year's Assembly polls. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Anti-Smog Guns To Be Mandatory For High-Rise Buildings, Hotels In Delhi

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Saturday announced that all high-rise buildings, hotels, commercial complexes, major establishments such as airports and construction sites must install anti-smog guns to curb air pollution levels.

Stressing that Delhi has to put its house in order before seeking action from others, Manjinder Singh Sirsa directed all departments concerned to prepare a detailed roadmap to tackle pollution and sought data on the contribution of key sites, including Delhi Airport, to the city's air pollution.

Chairing a high-level meeting with the officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Manjinder Singh Sirsa emphasised the need for stringent pollution control measures and said that if necessary, new laws would be introduced.

Rising pollution was a major election issue in Delhi and the BJP had accused the previous AAP government of failing to check it.

The MCD has been asked to provide a detailed list of existing and under-construction high-rise buildings, which will be subject to new pollution control norms. Existing buildings and upcoming projects will have separate guidelines, ensuring stricter compliance with environmental regulations, Manjinder Singh Sirsa said.

The minister also announced plans to transition all vehicles operating inside the airport to green alternatives and urged major establishments to actively contribute to pollution control by increasing greenery in their surroundings.

"By 2026, at least 10,000 electric vehicles will be introduced in Delhi, and steps will be taken to ensure a significant reduction in landfill waste, with parks and forests developed on cleaned landfill sites," Manjinder Singh Sirsa said.

Additionally, the minister highlighted the need for cloud seeding as a potential measure to combat pollution during peak smog months and said that all necessary permissions and formalities would be completed on a priority basis.

He also said that leading institutions like IIT Delhi and other Delhi-based colleges would be involved in pollution control efforts.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa stressed that before holding others accountable, Delhi must first reduce its pollution levels.

"Fifty per cent of Delhi's pollution comes from within the city itself. We need to fix our own problems first before seeking action from others," Manjinder Singh Sirsa added.

Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmentalist, said that the government should "focus on controlling emissions and addressing major sources of pollution such as industries, construction activities and fossil fuel plants located in the middle of the city that contribute significantly to air pollution".

Kandhari said that while anti-smog guns and water sprinkling help manage pollution to some extent, they are not complete solutions. Anti-smog guns are ineffective at construction sites, whereas water sprinkling can help control dust in such areas.

"Therefore, the government should introduce policies that bring impactful and lasting results," she added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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