Replying to a five-day debate on the governor's address to the house, he said Tamil Nadu had received investments worth Rs 60,568 crore in the two-and-a-half year period till last month, whereas Maharashtra had obtained only Rs 51,082 crore in the same period.

This represented a 24.94 per cent increase in investments in Tamil Nadu as against 21.03 per cent in Maharashtra. In terms of growth in investments, Tamil Nadu, therefore, stood first in the country, Karunanidhi claimed, citing figures published by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, Mumbai.

As a percentage of total investments in the country, Maharashtra had a share of 11.52 per cent, while Tamil Nadu was a close second with 11.49per cent, he said. ``It is behind only by 0.03 per cent,'' he said.

On the charge by some members that the government was doing little to revive sick industrial units in the state, Karunanidhi said the government could do nothing about the closure of these units, as it was in no position to take up the huge financial commitments involved.

These units were closed only due to financial problems, and unless promoters evinced interest in reviving them, their re-opening would be impossible. Some of them were facing liquidation proceedings, while others were before the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) or its appellate body, for possible rehabilitation packages.

He also denied any laxity on the part of the government in the failure of some foreign investment projects to take off in the state. Pilkington of England (a cut glass manufacturing unit) and Norsk Hydro of Norway (for making pvc pipes) had abandoned their projects as the global market for their products wasunfavourable.

Kumho, a South Korean company, had decided to defer its tyre manufacturing unit due to the South East Asian economic crisis, he said. However, Ford was planning to commence commercial production of cars in October.

On the issue of rehabilitating sick textile units, the Chief Minister said NABARD had given administrative clearance to a loan package in respect of six of the 18 cooperative spinning mills, and the state government had paid Rs 2.83 crore as margin money.