Over 21 months after it downed shutters, the Kottayam Textiles, a spinning mill unit under the State Government at Vedagiri, near Ettumanur, has resumed operations.
The unit had declared a layoff in February last year following a labour dispute and incurring huge arrears to the Kerala State Electricity Board.
A meeting convened by Industries Minister P. Rajeeve in Thiruvananthapuram last month, which was attended by Registration Minister V. N. Vasavan, higher officials and trade union leaders, had decided to reopen the mill following assurances that the unit would be made profitable by operating three shifts and that the loss could be offset in the long run.
The meeting had also resolved to consider the demands raised by trade unions through relevant forums after the reopening.
Based on these assurances, the Government sanctioned ₹1.5 crore for the resumption of activities in the milling unit, which employs 168 permanent workers and 100 temporary staff. In addition to cotton threads, the company will now be manufacturing polyester threads as well.
