A delegation of major textile industrialists of Maharashtra recently met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in order to seek subsidies in power tariff on high-intensity operating machinery at their powerloom units. Power subsidy to the small and medium powerloom operations, and handloom sectors has been given by the Maharashtra Government but the high intensity big machinery operators still have to pay commercial rates of Rs. 8.50 to Rs. 9 per unit. According to the Finance Ministry, extending subsidies to the high intensity big machinery operators would cost the state an extra Rs. 300 to Rs. 350 crore, which it is not ready to bear.
The CM believes that the big players should share social responsibilities rather than just weighing the textile sector in terms of profit and loss. “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,” he said. He also mentioned that in order to promote the textile sector, the State Government is committed to rationalizing power tariff.
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In order to revive the textile industry, adoption of modern technology is expected to bring Rs. 50,000 crore through private and public partnership, and generate employment for 1.5 million people. Fadnavis expressed his worry over agriculture not being a sustainable sector due to recurring drought and shrinking agriculture land holding in rural areas. “We are going to promote textile industry as the second largest sector. It would help in development of backward districts, where cotton cultivation is higher in Vidarbha, Marathwada and parts of North Maharashtra,” said Fadnavis.
