Govt to soon announce new policy for powerloom industry in India: Irani

10 December, Thane

Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani todayannounced that the Centre would soon come out with the policy forpowerloom industry in the country.

ndworkers’ representatives in the powerloom town of Bhiwandi of thedistrict, she said that through this policy the government aims toaddress the problems faced by the industry and the workers and giverelief to the poorest of the poor workers in the powerloom industry.

The powerloom industry was being given loans under thePradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), she informed and said inaddition to this, the government was making all out efforts for thedevelopment of looms.

With a view to bring in Acche Din for the powerloom workers,the Minister said that it has been planned to procure 900 millionmetres of cloth over the next three years from the powerlooms in India.

It has also been planned to make the cloth producedindigenously cheaper than the ones imported from China, Ms Irani said.

A meeting would also be held of the powerloom industries inthe state and each of the powerloom industry centers/cities/townswould be given fixed quota for supply of fabrics, the Minister said.

The Minister directed the SDO Dr Santosh Thithe to ensurethat each and every powerloom worker in the town opens a bankaccount and they be trained in cashless transactions and in additionto this hold camps for issuance of Aadhar cards.

The powerloom industry in Maharashtra has been facinghardship and is in red since last few years. Hence to address theirissues, the visit of the Minister was organized at Bhiwandi today.

Also present for the meeting was the Bhiwandi MP (BJP) KapilPatil, who had arranged the visit of the minister.