Ray of hope for revival of textile mills in district
Tribune News Service
AMRITSAR, MARCH 22
Union Minister Smriti Irani’s assurance of subsidies for reviving textile mills and appointment of Textile Commissioner for the holy city has raised hopes of local industrialists.
Responding to the demand of Amritsar Lok Sabha MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla in Parliament, she announced that various steps were in pipeline to revive the textile industry of the city. She informed that a Textile Commissioner would be appointed and subsidy would be given for its revival.
Earlier, Aujla had raised the matter of ignoring the textile industry of the border city, which used to be hailed as Manchester of India. He said it used to offer employment to a large number of people.
Textile Merchants Association (TMA) stated that the Union Government had not announced the textile policy which has been pending since 2016. Its members demanded that the New National Textile Policy should be framed to meet its requirements and redressal of shortcomings.
There are two components of textile sector – organised and unorganised sector. Most of the units here fall in unorganised sector which come under the MSME category. The problems gripping this sector are very much different from other.
Basic raw material for textile sector in India is polyester and woollen and worsted yarn. Woollen yarn, which is also called, greasy wool, is being imported from Australia and other countries. It said these raw materials should be made available at international price and particularly at the rate prevalent in Chinese market which could increase the textile export manifold. Improvement in the quality of wool in India either by importing merino goats from Australia or its sperm be arranged.
SK Wadhwa, a textile manufacturer, said, free import of textile readymade and made-ups under SSARC from Bangladesh in particular has crippled the domestic industry. So amendments are required. “Export Promotion bodies should organise international seminars, conferences during winters in the holy city, which boasts of international airport and the best of road and rail connectivity,” he said.
He demanded upgradation in the syllabi of IITs and polytechnics and direction to export promotion councils to arrange study and promotional tours overseas for textiles particularly shawls, Wool Research Center in Jodhpur may also improve research and development for innovation. “Setting up of a ‘wool technology centre’ at GNDU where courses can be offered to train students for wool exclusively,” he added.
