Labour panel raps Ministry of Textiles

The committee has suggested that a monthly review meeting be conducted by the Ministry to track the progress of various schemes realising that the budgetary plan expenditure to the Ministry has gone up by Rs 164.29 crore this year.

Considering that funds in previous years were not utilised, the committee hoped that there will be no repeat of that this year.

The committee also expressed doubts on the feasibility of schemes like the Integrated Textile Park (SITP) while calling for the extension of the successful Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) till the 11th Five Year Plan.

SITP was formulated by the ministry last year after apparel park for export scheme and textile centre infrastructure development scheme failed to take off. The committee is skeptical about the success of the new scheme in view of the failure of the earlier ones.

The report criticises the government for not implementing the Textile Workers Relief Fund scheme properly. Noting that 32,668 workers from 78 mills closed down during the last three years have not yet received any relief the committee recommended guidelines of the scheme to be amended to hasten the process of providing relief.

On the powerloom sector, the committee has pointed towards a lack of ambition on the part of the ministry for the backwardness of the sector.

It said that the target set for modernisation of the sector by way of setting up shuttleless looms is insignificant adding that at the current pace the country will not be able to catch up with China.