HYDERABAD: Telangana industries minister KT Rama Rao has sought the Centre’s support for various initiatives being taken up by the state for the handloom and texiles sector.
In a letter to Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union textile minister Piyush Goyal, KTR urged sanction of central funds for key projects like the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park (KMTP) at Warangal and the mega powerloom cluster at Sircilla.
He also asked for projects such as an Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT) to be set up in the state and offered the handloom park at Pochampally for the same. This apart, he called for the setting up of a National Textile Research Institute as well as a Handloom Export Promotion Council in Hyderabad.
Urging the Cente to finalise its policy for the development of manufacturing regions for the textile and apparel sector so that projects such as the 1200-acre KMTP, which is based on the `fiber to fashion’ concept, can be suitably benefitted, KTR also asked for around Rs 898 crore to be sanctioned for taking up infrastructure development at KMTP.
He also requested the Centre to sanction the mega powerloom cluster at Sircilla with a funding of Rs 49.84 crore out of the projected outlay of Rs 993.65 crore towards filling the various gaps and to implement various components.
KTR has also asked the Centre to allow upgradation of powerlooms under the IN-SITU scheme and expressed Telangana’s willingness to contribute 50% of the upgradation cost. He also sought sanction of 15 block level handloom clusters (BLCs) under the national handloom development programme (NHDP).
He also called for a relaxation in the bank financing requirements under the amended technology upgradation fund (ATUF) for large textile projects from the existing 50% of the project cost 5% to help companies finance their projects as per their size and business requirements while ensuring adequate project scrutiny by notified lending institutions.
