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| Edited By: Kanchan Srivastava |Source: DNA |Updated: Feb 03, 2015, 06:30 AM IST
Q: What are the highlights of your proposed policy?
We have proposed mega composite clusters with Amravati as spinning hub, Nagpur as knitting hub, Solapur teri-towel hub and ichalkaranji/Bhiwandi for suiting-shirting-denim hub along with design-cum-sampling centres, processing parks and skill development centres. Various subsidies for investors and inviting FDI are other major recommendations. The idea is to improve efficiency like China. There it takes two months to prepare cloth from the cotton as they have all the facilities in the clusters which also cut down the cost. Here, the process takes at least nine months.
Q: How is it different from the one brought during the Congress-NCP regime for 2012-17?
The textile policy of the previous government lacked long-term vision and comprehensive approach. The policy neither benefited industrialists nor the farmers and workers. Our mega-cluster approach and subsidies will give the sector get a fillip by bringing down production cost and time. The state will be able to export garments rather than cotton which will help everyone, including the government coffers.
Q: How will the policy create more jobs and attract bigger investments than earlier?
The previous policy was aimed at getting investment worth Rs 40,000 crore and creating 11 lakh jobs. However, only Rs 7,119 crore came in and just 46,084 jobs were created between 2012 and 2014. Our policy will benefit farmers, workers, industrialists and entrepreneurs. Even rural women can set up garment units with kind of subsidies we have proposed. We are expecting an investment of Rs80,000 crore and creation of 10 lakh jobs in next five years. Revenue from textiles will jump from Rs1,000 crore to 4,000 crore a year.
Q: People prefer real estate to textiles as it gives better returns. How will your policy attract these potential investors and FDI?
We have emphasised a lot on easing out the licensing norms and one-window approval. A special cell to coordinate with investors, fibre-to-fashion approach, 20-40% subsidies and free common effluent treatment and water recycling plants will definitely attract industrialists. The proposal of government security from NABARD is also aimed at attracting FDI.
Congress leader Arif Naseem Khan says your move to give sick cooperative units to private sector will destroy the cooperative sector which has been the base of rural development in Maharashtra. Also, he has challenged your data with claims of investment of Rs13,000 crore in past two years.
Our figures are correct. Khan knows nothing about the textile. Cooperative mills owe the government over Rs1,600 crore. For sick units, we have just recommended 51% disinvestment. However, for plants which have closed down, we have recommended that they must be given to private sector so that their land and machines can be better utilised.
