Union Textiles Minister Santosh Gangwar on Friday at a press conference talking about the Textile Ministry’s performance in the past two years said that under the scheme for integrated textile parks (SITP) implemented to stimulate development of infrastructure, 24 new textile parks have been sanctioned in the last two years, facilitating investment of Rs 4,500 crore and generating employment for 66,000 people.

The SITP has been simplified and reoriented towards less industrialized states, the minister said, pointing out that only 50 textile parks were established in the previous eight years.

Gangwar further said that Rs 3,277 crore worth of subsidies have been released under the Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (A-TUFS).

A budget provision of Rs 17,822 crore has been approved for seven years to meet the committed liabilities. A-TUFS shall attract an investment of Rs 1,00,000 crore and generate employment for 30.51 lakh people.

Also a number of initiatives have been taken to revive the handloom sector with the emphasis on increasing the weavers’ income and attracting the younger generation to the profession.

On efforts to promote an organized textile industry in the north-east, apparel and garment making units were inaugurated in April 2016 in Nagaland and Tripura.

In other (north-eastern) states (except Sikkim), the infrastructure is ready and entrepreneurs have been identified for handing over the units.

Each apparel and garment making centre can generate direct employment for 1,200 people.

To meet the need of the industry for a skilled workforce and thereby support its competitiveness, under capacity building in the textile sector, the Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS) with an allocation of Rs 1,900 crore as part of the 12th Plan aims to train 15 lakh people. The ministry has trained 3.75 lakh youth in textile trades, particularly in the rapidly growing garmenting segment of the industry.

Also, textile projects were launched in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Haryana, Goa, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab under ISDS in the last two years.

The largest ever planned Minimum Support Price (MSP) operation also was carried out by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) for cotton growers. And packaging of food grains in jute bags has been mandated to help jute producers and manufacturers.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched ‘India Handloom’ brand on August 7, 2015, India Handloom brand is aimed at promoting high value handloom products with new design, zero defects (in fabrics), zero effect (on environment) and assurance to consumers about genuineness and the quality of products.