The Government of Maharashtra has decided to take a final call on the proposed textile policy after September 11. Suresh Halwankar, MLA from Ichalkaranji (Maharashtra), very much involved in the processing and formulation of textile policy has said that the State Government has approved the policy in-principle and is being discussed at the secretary level.
Textile industry of Maharashtra is expecting great support from proposed textile policy as it is expected to attract heavy investment in the state. Satish Koshti, President of Ichalkaranji Powerloom Weavers’ Association said, “The Ichalkaranji cluster is already known for supplying clothes to more than 50 international brands as per the requirement. If the policy is drafted carefully and solves all the possible practical hurdles, it will not only attract huge investments but also help in job creation. It is still a labour intensive sector and has capacity to generate jobs for thousands of skilled and semi-skilled workforce in the rural as well as urban areas.”
Another point that has been made in the drafted policy is that Maharashtra manufactures 56 lakh bales of cotton of which only 25 lakh are processed in the state and remaining are transported outside the state – the policy suggests to increase the existing swindles in the textile units from 12 lakh to 50 lakh.