A high-level meeting with Union textile minister Santosh Gangwar and Union minister of state for small and medium industries Giriraj Singh was held at New Delhi on Thursday to take important decisions related to expansion of Finley Mills at Achalpur, development of textile park at Nandgaon Peth MIDC, setting up of cotton processing units at taluka level and shifting of closed NTC mills in Mumbai to Vidarbha.

The meeting was a step in the direction of stopping farmers' suicides in Vidarbha and improving their financial condition.

These decisions were taken to give relief to the cotton growers of Amravati division. A meeting, organized with the initiative of Nitin Gadkari and attended by all-party MLAs of the district and collector Kiran Gitte, asked Northern India Textile Research Association (Nitra) to prepare a DPR for the expansion of Finley Mills at Achalpur.

The mill presently prepares 45,000 spindles. After the expansion, spindle production will go up to 70,000. The mill has 10 hectares land available for expansion. It was decided to complete the expansion work in a year's time.

It was also decided to expeditiously develop the textile park at Nandgaon Peth MIDC near here over a 500 hectare land. At present, three companies have started work here while 73 hectares have been given to other eight companies to start work. Guardian minister Pravin Pote assured to give 100 hectares land to NTC provided it completed its work within a year.

It was also decided to ask small and medium industries ministry and agriculture ministry to work together to evolve a comprehensive policy after studying the problems of cotton growers of the region. Gadkari asked the ministries concerned to prepare a draft of the policy and present it before the Union cabinet for setting up cotton processing units at taluka level so that quality and productivity of cotton could be increased.

The meeting also discussed at length the issue of shifting of seven NTC-run closed cotton mills in Mumbai to Vidarbha region. Additional chief secretary of state textile ministry, Sunil Porwal informed the work of seeking labour ministry's permission for shifting the mills was in final stages.