Annual Conference of State Textiles Ministers Held Together, we can help the sector better serve the common man of the nation: Textiles Minister
Annual Conference of State Textiles Ministers Held
Together, we can help the sector better serve the common man of the nation: Textiles Minister
TUFS is in the final stage of revision, will be notified soon: Government
States should make more provisions for schemes transferred to them: Government
The Government of India held the Annual Conference of State Textiles Ministers 2015 on 4th November, 2015. The purpose of the conference was to assess the existing position and formulate strategy for exploiting the potential of the textile sector. The Conference was chaired by Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Hon’ble Minister of State for Textiles (I/C).
In response to the invitation, Hon’ble Ministers in charge of Textiles matters of 9 States, namely Smt. Bismita Gogoi (Assam), Shri Chander Prakash (J&K), Shri H. Rohluna (Mizoram), Shri Amenba Yaden (Nagaland), Smt. Snehangini Chhuria (Odisha), Shri Gajendra Singh Khimsar (Rajasthan), Smt. S. Gokul Indira (Tamil Nadu), Shri Brahma Sankar Tripathi (Uttar Pradesh), Shri Jupally Krishna Rao (Telangana) and Dr B.D. Chakma (Mizoram) attended the Conference and participated in the proceedings. Apart from ministers of these 9 states, senior official of 16 other states too participated in the Conference.
Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Hon’ble Minister of State for Textiles (I/C) welcomed the State Ministers and said that since the last Textiles Ministers’ Conference inSeptember 2014, the Government of India has intensified its focus on improving governance and service delivery to the common man in the textile sector. He said that to this end, the Government has endeavoured to maintain close liaison with State Governments for supporting the textile industry, with a view to promoting production and employment in various segments of the sector. The Textiles Minister said that the Government’s efforts in this direction have been guided by the vision and governance principles of the Hon’ble Prime Minister -- of making development participative and inclusive, with stress on skill, scale and speed, following the motto of “zero defect, zero effect”.
Shri Gangwar pointed out that the Ministry of Textiles has taken action on several of the suggestions and requests made by the states in the 2014 conference. He highlighted successes in the areas of textile parks, Apparel and Garment Making Centres in the North Eastern Region, handloom promotion, cotton procurement, skill development and turnaround of National Textiles Corporation, to name a few.
The Minister highlighted that the support of state governments is of utmost importance in all of the above. Accordingly, he requested states to provide necessary assistance and support to the textile sector, to complement the efforts of the Government of India. He said that this would enable the Central and state governments in collectively responding to present day challenges. He invited the valuable suggestions of states in meeting national development goals the nation has set for itself. Shri Gangwar concluded by saying that together, we can make Indian textile industry the best in the world and help the sector better serve the common man of the nation in improving his/her lot.
The Minister launched the revamped website of the Ministry of Textiles: texmin.nic.in. The redesigned website is more user-friendly, allowing for easy navigation; it is disabled-friendly and has multi-language support as well. The aesthetically designed new website is compatible for use through tablets and mobile devices. The website provides information on all aspects of the textile sector, such as sectoral developments, schemes, initiatives and has links to all attached offices, subordinate offices, PSUs, statutory bodies and export promotion councils under the Ministry.
Dr. S. K. Panda, Secretary (Textiles) gave a brief presentation on various schemes, programmes and initiatives being undertaken by the Ministry, for the promotion of Indian textile sector. He outlined the vision and strategy of the Government for the textile sector, based on the philosophy of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas’, with the following key components:
• Consolidate promotion of handlooms, handicrafts, sericulture, jute, wool for production as per market demand
• Provision of skill as per industry requirements
• Promotion of export of apparel and garment for generation of employment
• Development of infrastructure, textile parks; attention to treatment of effluent in the processing sector
• Continuing support to the textile industry under Textile Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) with suitable amendments
• Improve “Ease of doing business”
• Promotion of technical textiles
The Secretary also gave a glimpse of the achievements of the Ministry:
• Under SITP, 22 new Textile Parks have been sanctioned; the scheme has been amended to extend benefits to all states
• Landmark initiative on Apparel & Garments units in North Eastern States
• National Handloom Day launched along with India Handloom brand by Hon’ble Prime Minister
• Largest ever MSP operations conducted to support cotton farmers
• Jute Diversification: CFC Schemes launched to support Women’s SHGs
• ISDS Scaled up -- 4.60 lakh persons trained up to October 2015
• IPDS Scheme - 4 projects sanctioned
• NTC turned around --land earmarked for Memorial of Baba Saheb Ambedkar.
The State Ministers gave their considered views and suggestions on various issues relating to the sector, such as promotion of handlooms and handicrafts, textile processing, textile parks, sericulture, mega clusters and other state specific issues. The Minister from Assam desired special support for sericulture. Ministers from both Assam and J&K expressed the need to have additional campuses of NIFT. Telangana requested that the procurement of cotton through MSP operations be strengthened. Textile Ministers from Nagaland and Mizoram asked for increase in the allocation under NERTPS. The Tamil Nadu Minister expressed the need for additional support for handloom weavers. The Odisha Minister too asked for special support for handloom sector. The Rajasthan minister said that in view of issued faced by the textile processing industry, special support should be given to the sector under IPDS. The Uttar Pradesh Minister sought more support for powerloom cluster. The Union Textile Minister took note of the suggestions and requests raised by the states and assured them that the Government will examine them and do the needful.
Summing up the deliberations, Dr. S. K. Panda thanked the state governments, noting that they have given many useful suggestions; he assured the audience that the Government of India will examine every single suggestion and take appropriate action. The Secretary told that in view of the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission to increase state share of central taxes from 32% to 42%, states should make more provisions for schemes which have been transferred to them. In this regard, he complimented states such as Tamil Nadu which have made very specific provisions to help the textile sector. The Uttar Pradesh Textile minister sought more support for powerloom sector. The Union Textiles Minister noted all the suggestions and requests, and assured the states that the Government of India will look into them and do the needful.
Dr. Panda spoke of the need and importance for Government officials to visit other states, in order to pick up and implement best practices. With reference to the concerns raised during the conference, the Secretary said that the Government is very sensitive to the requirements of North East India as well as Jammu & Kashmir; he added that the approach of the Ministry is to focus on quality production and branding, and not on subsidies.
The Secretary said that the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) is in the final stage of revision and that it will be notified soon. Speaking on mega textile parks, the Secretary said that the Government has amended guidelines; he exhorted the states to make land available and motivate entrepreneurs to come forward. Replying to concerns on Scheme for Integrated Textile Processing Development, Dr. Panda said that a committee involving IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Bombay and Textile Research Associations have been formed, so that the best possible technology can be adopted for the same. He also said that the much-awaited Textiles Policy is in an advanced stage of finalization.
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