Centre to set up 25 textile parks

The government plans to set up 25 textile parks across the country and the final decision on the issue will be taken within 10 days, Textiles Minister Anand Sharma said on Friday.

“Within 10 days, we will take a final view on the new schemes for integrated textiles park (SITPs) to be established in the country,” Sharma said after meeting various stakeholders of the textiles industry here.

Sharma, who was given the additional charge of textiles ministry in the recent cabinet reshuffle, said that 25 new SITPs will be constituted with each unit costing Rs 40 crore.
Four integrated textile parks will be inaugurated in Maharashtra and Gujarat shortly, he said. The minister also said that three mills of National Textiles Corporations would be opened soon in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka.

The government plans to introduce the Cotton Development Bill in the winter session of Parliament to establish a directorate general of textile intelligence, he said.  Sharma said the government was also taking measures to revive the textiles industry in Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, which remains closed after the high court order.  “I am seized of the enormity of the challenge posed by the high court order and the huge social dimension, resulting from closure of units in which thousands of people have been rendered jobless,” he said.

“I will discuss the matter with environment minister and Tamil Nadu government to draw a roadmap for meeting environment regulatory norms,” he said.

On cotton exports, Sharma said: “Comprehensive view will be taken on cotton exports after an inter-ministerial consultation over next few days and a close watch will be maintained on cotton arrival data.”