Produce Ink Used for Printing Currency Notes: Modi

By ENN, Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi asked the chemical industry in the state to take up the challenge of manufacturing ink which is used for printing currency notes.

He said that presently India imports ink worth about Rs 300 crore annually for currency notes.

"Gujarat has a very strong base of chemical industry, which manufactures chemicals and allied products for domestic as well as export markets," he said, adding, "Why cannot you take up the challenge of producing high grade ink for currency notes so that the country does not have to import the same ?," he asked.

The Chief Minister was addressing representatives of the chemical industry at Indiachem 2009 organised by FICCI here.

Modi also asked the industry to focus on research and development activities in the chemical sector and make the state an hub for R&D.

According to him, research and development will strengthen the industry base in the state.

Besides this, Modi said that chemical industry, which is considered hazardous in nature and increases pollution, should adopt clean technology and practices so that no damage is caused to the environment.

According to Modi, Gujarat has taken initiatives in environment protection and has created infrastructure in partnership with the industry to treat effluents.

He said that the government has in partnership with the industries has set up common effluent treatment plants (CETP) at major industrial estates in the state.