MINI INDUSTRIAL ESTATES 55 TABLE IIINDUS FRY-WISE DISTRIBUTION OF PROPOSED UNITSTimber and wood industry 1,000 Agricultural implements 50 Textile and fibre industries 2,000 Food and allied industries 1,000 Rubber products 500 Paper conversion products 250 Leather industries 250 Mineral based industries 250 Paints and varnishes 21» Inorganic chemicals 50 Plastic goods 250 Oil, soaps and cosmetics 300 Dycstuff 25 Organic chemicals and intermediates 25 Drugs and pharmaceuticals 50 Mechanical and metallurgical 2,000 Electrical industries 100 Electronic industries 250 Miscellaneous 1,625Total 10,000 Under the MIE programme, the government of Kerala, through its various agencies, offers a variety of assistance to the entrepreneurs who set up units in these estates. These include finance for plant and [machinery up to 80 percent, supply of raw materials at fair price, training entrepreneurial skills, in addition to guidance in identifying suitable projects and preparation of detailed project report free of cost. Although more than four years have passed since the commissioning of the scheme, so far only 400 units have gone into production. Of these, half the number is reported to have turned sick. A total number of 106 industrial estates have so far been established with a capacity for 568 units. An attempt is made in this paper to examine the problems and prospects of mini industrial estates based on a case study of the MIE at Pattambi in Palghat district. Pattambi is situated in the Ottapalam taluk of Palghat district and is one of the eight towns in the district. The 1971 census places the population of the town coming under a non-municipal civil administration at 10,411. In the functional category it is listed as "primary activity-cum-service-cum-industry". Electricity reached the town in 1958 and in 1979 there were 1,657 consumers—906 domestic, 321 commercial, 175 industrial, 117 agricultural and the balance miscellaneous. Telephone connections are currently confined to commercial undertakings and offices only.