Centre approves Rs.6000-cr package for textile sector

The Dollar Business Bureau

The Textile Ministry on Thursday conveyed that it is taking concrete steps to set up textile parks in India with an emphasis on linking these parks with tourism. 

The Centre has provided Rs.10 crore for improvement of Raghurajpur area in Odisha to facilitate textile-tourism linkage.

"As many as 24 textile parks have been set up in different parts of the country in the last two years of the BJP-led NDA government. We are trying to link this key sector with tourism," Textile Minister Santosh Gangwar said. 

Earlier this week, the government approved a Rs.6000 crore special packages for the textile sector. 

Referring to the policies of the previous government, Gangwar said only 16 textile parks had been set up during the last ten years, while the present government in two years has taken the number of textile parks to 24. The NDA government is promoting the textile sector by providing Rs.40 crore in the development of each proposed park. The Textile Minister was speaking to the media in Odisha, during the two-year completion celebrations of the NDA government.

He stressed that additional steps will be taken to find areas with tourism potential where textile and weaving activities have been in vogue. 

Asking the Odisha government to propose development of the garment and apparel sector in the state, Gangwar said, “The Centre is keen to provide all forms of assistance if the state government sends any proposal for textile parks and similar projects." 

Referring to the competition with countries such as China, Myanmar and Bangladesh, with China being the toughest competitor in the textile and garment sector, the minister said the Govt is keen to develop the textile and garment sector with approved packages in order to sustain the competition from these countries. 

By 2018-19, India plans to set up 42 mega parks, and establish 200 small processing units for the benefit of farmers.