A delegation of big textile industrialists met Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis and sought subsidies in power tariff on high-intensity operating machinery in their powerlooms. In the state, the government has given power subsidy to small and medium powerloom operations and handloom sectors, those units which operate on high intensity big machinery to produce yarn have to pay commercial rates between Rs 8.50 and Rs 9 per unit.
Fadnavis said that the big players would have to share social responsibilities and not weigh the textile sector in terms of profit and loss.
He said that the textiles dismissed as ‘dying industry’ has the potential to offset unrest within the agriculture sector which has almost 55 per cent population relying on it for livelihood. To revive textile industry, the policy reforms had been initiated.
Officials said that Fadnavis had asked power minister, Chandrakant Bawankule to ascertain the financial implications of extending any subsidy to high intensity powerlooms.
The chief minister said he was committed to rationalizing power tariff to promotethe textile sector, and planned to evolve an overall policy for rural developmentand employment in the textile industry. He urged textile sector to consider socio-economic aspects and rural development through textile revival.
Maharashtra has almost 11 lakh powerlooms. There are 300 textile units which operate on 70,000 machines.
Textile sector has been in a state of neglect. The private and public partnership to adopt modern technology to revive the dying textile sector is expected to bring in Rs 50,000 crore. It is expected to generate employment for 15 lakh people.
