The government’s move to set up mega integrated textile parks will generate one lakh direct and two lakh indirect employment per park. At an outlay of ₹4,445 crore over a five-year period, the parks will create integrated infrastructure for spinning, weaving, processing, dyeing and printing to garment manufacturing at a single location.
The Cabinet on Wednesday approved setting up of seven Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) parks. The project was announced in Budget 2021-22.
The PM MITRA park will be developed by a Special Purpose Vehicle owned by the Central and state governments in a public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The Master Developer will develop and maintain it during the concession period. The project has been inspired by the 5F vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the textile sector — Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign.
The government said the scheme will help in setting up world-class industrial infrastructure that would attract cutting age technology and boost FDI and local investment in the sector.
A Maximum Development Capital Support (DCS) of ₹500 crore will be given to all greenfield parks and a maximum of ₹200 crore will be given to brownfield parks for development of common infrastructure. A further ₹300 crore will be given as Competitiveness Incentive Support (CIS) to each of the parks.
States such as Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Assam, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana have already expressed interests. The Centre is looking at states that can offer over 1,000 acres at a single location for the park, according to sources.
The move will enhance the competitiveness of the textiles industry by helping it achieve economies of scale, and create huge job opportunities for millions of people, said Raja M. Shanmugham, president, Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA).
Core infrastructure at the parks will include incubation centre and plug & play facility, developed factory sites, roads, power, water and waste water system, common processing house & CETP and other related facilities such as design and testing centres. The parks will also have support infrastructure, including workers’ hostels and housing, logistics parks, warehousing, medical, training and skill development facilities, among others.
The Cabinet also approved the Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days of wages for all eligible non-gazetted railway employees (excluding RPF/RPSF personnel) for 2020-21 in recognition of the hardships put in by employees during the lockdown imposed in the wake of the pandemic last year. The financial implication of payment of PLB to railway employees has been estimated to be ₹1,984.73 crore. Railway board chairman Suneet Sharma said in a virtual briefing the amount will be credited before Dussehra. About 11.56 lakh non-gazetted railway employees are likely to benefit from the decision.