Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) meeting held on Tuesday urged the officials concerned to take measures for textile industry hubs at Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Kurnool and Anantapur.

He said that permissions have been given for the expansion of Vasantha Industries Cotton Spinning Mills in Thimmapuram of Guntur district with an investment of Rs 159 crore, for Tarakeswar Textile Park in Sullurpet mandal of Nellore district with an investment of Rs 337 crore and it will commence production by 2017. Knitting mill, garmenting project by Texport Industries Project Limited will be started in Visakhapatnam with an investment of Rs 101 crore.

SIPB had given necessary permissions for power, roads, land, water and other basic infrastructure facilities, for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone recently.

Chief Minister, while talking about manpower, expressed dissatisfaction on not being able to provide skilled manpower to the industries already set up and that they are being forced to import skilled workers from other states. He urged the officials concerned to take immediate action of improving skills of the youth in the state.

However, the state growth rate in the second quarter registered at 10.82 percent, while growth rate in agriculture and allied sectors was 14.34 percent. Industrial growth rate was just 7.61 percent, which needs to be improved. Growth rate in service sector was 11.19 percent.