PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry MP V Vaithilingam urged the Centre to set up a textile park in the premises of the defunct Anglo-French Textile mills. He raised the matter under Rule 377 at the recent Lok Sabha session.
Vaithilingam drew attention to unemployment caused by the non-functional state-owned textile mills in Puducherry. The member identified three state-owned textile mills, namely, AFT, Bharathi Mill, and Swadeshi Mill all of which are currently defunct, resulting in a high rate of unemployment among mill workers. These mills, he noted, are located in close proximity to the Puducherry-Cuddalore Main Road, and occupy a sprawling 100 acres.
In light of this, Vaithilingam appealed Centre's intervention and establish a textile park under the PM MITRA Scheme (Prime Minister's Manufacturing, Industrial Transformation, and Upgradation Scheme). This initiative aims to revitalise the region's textile industry and reutilise the existing buildings and skilled workforce. By leveraging the available resources and infrastructure, the proposed textile park seeks to contribute to the development of Puducherry. The scheme's implementation, he said, could attract investment.