Photo : PTI
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has announced the setting up of a study group on power looms to look at the issues facing the industry and submit a proposal to make changes in the state’s newly launched textile policy to help the power loom industry. Textile Minister Chandrakant Patil made the announcement while replying to a calling attention motion by Samajwadi Party MLA from Bhiwandi (East) Rais Shaikh. Patil also announced that the state government is going to distribute 24 lakh sarees to women who were Below Poverty Line (BPL) across the state and all these sarees will only be made in power looms. Patil said that Shaikh will also be part of the study group and a Government Resolution (GR) on the study group will be issued soon.
“In Maharashtra, after agriculture, power loom have a big contribution to employment. These power loom operators must get more benefits and support. While drafting the textile policy, many stakeholders were consulted and their suggestions were incorporated in the policy. Then we cleared the policy, but the MLA Rais Shaikh has said, that power loom operators weren’t considered enough. So we will form a study group. There are three centres, Ichalkaranji, Malegaon and Bhiwandi that have power looms. So the concerned stakeholders and elected representatives will be part of the group,” Patil said in the Legislative Assembly.
“We will provide resources for the study group to visit the centres and then they can submit a proposal. We are giving 24 lakh sarees to women, who are BPL between Makar Sankranti and Holi. All these sarees will be only made in power looms of Maharashtra. About the power subsidy we will take up the issue with the Energy Minister and Finance Minister,” Patil said.
Shaikh said that the current textile policy hasn’t considered power looms. “We thank textile Minister Chandrakant Patil for announcing the study group. I have been included in the study group and Patil has also agreed to visit Bhiwandi which is a hub of power looms. This is the first time that the government has given an identity to power looms in the textile policy. The study group GR must be issued soon. For 15 days, power looms are shut every day. In the saree distribution scheme, power looms have got a reservation for the first time. There are many reservation of products like wiping cloth for handlooms but there are no such reservation for power looms. We have demanded that power loom cloth products must also be given such a reservation,” Shaikh said.
Shaikh also said that Patil has assured that the state government will learn pending files related to subsidy of power loom operators.
“In 2019, then the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has announced a subsidy for power looms, the Minister Patil has agreed that this is pending and we demand that this subsidy must be approved immediately. The power loom industry will get a new lease of life. Based on the study group’s findings, the textile policy can be refined and made much more effective and dynamic,” Shaikh said.
In his written reply, Patil said that there are around 12,70,000 looms in Maharashtra. “These looms are around 50% of the number of power looms in the country. 80% of the looms in the state are simple old fashioned looms or looms made by local manufacturers, producing basic textiles required in the country. Export oriented textiles are not generally produced on simple looms. In the state, 20% of the export-oriented and quality textiles are produced on automatic looms. These machines are providing direct and indirect employment to around 30 lakh people in the state. Textile industry is the second largest employment generator in the country after agriculture. Besides providing a large amount of employment, the government is getting a large amount of revenue from this sector,” Patil said in his written reply.
“A new Integrated and Sustainable Textile Policy 2023-28 has been announced in June 2023, which aims to attract investment of Rs. 25,000 crore and create employment up to 5 lakh in the next 5 years. Under the Integrated and Sustainable Textile Policy 2023-28, zone wise incentives for the handloom sector have been provided,” Patil said.
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