HYDERABAD: IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao sought funds from Union Minister Smriti Irani for the development of handloom and textile industry in the State, on Thursday.In a letter written to her, Rama Rao requested Irani to allocate funds in the 2021-22 Union Budget for the development of Kakatiya Mega Textile Park (KMTP), for the sanction of a Mega Powerloom Cluster at Sircilla and to sanction certain proposals for the development of handlooms and textiles in the State.
Rama Rao’s letter stated that the KMTP would take off in 2021-22 and was being developed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,552 crore. Under the Mega Textile Park scheme, Rs 500 crore capital support is available from the Centre. “We request that approximately Rs 300 crore of this amount be released at the earliest to kickstart major external infrastructure works urgently needed at the park,” read the letter.
The Industries Minister said 25,495 power looms out of 35,588 in the State, which were geo-tagged, were located at Sircilla. “Taking cognisance of the existing power looms, the Sircilla district stands to be the most suitable to establish a Mega Powerloom Cluster under the Comprehensive Powerloom Cluster Development Scheme (CPCDS),” Rama Rao said wrote in the letter. “Sanction a Mega Powerloom Cluster at Sircilla and sanction an amount of Rs 49.84 crore,” added the letter.
Rama Rao’s letter stated that the State government was very keen to set up a Powerloom Development Corporation to look after various marketing strategies under the powerloom sector. He requested Irani to sanction an Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT) in Telangana. As there is no diploma course in handloom technology, youths from the State are going to neighbouring states like AP, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to get admissions in the IIHTs there, Rama Rao wrote. The required land with a constructed building was available for IIHT at Pochampally, he added.
Stating that the textile industry was facing problems due to cancellation of export orders and shipments were put on hold due to Covid-19, the Industries Minister suggested the Union Minister to announce sops for the resumption of operations and reassure workers of the textile industry. He suggested to Irani that raising wage support up to five per cent, banking support, incentives to exporters, 50% yarn subsidy, encouraging man-made fibres, transferring subsidies directly to cotton ryots, attracting investments by the industry and other measures would help the textile industry.
KMTP to take off in 2021-22: Industries min
Rama Rao’s letter to Union Minister Smriti Irani stated that the KMTP would take off in 2021-22 and was being developed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,552 crore. Under the Mega Textile Park scheme, Rs 500 crore capital support is available from the Central government