Anantapur: Textile park proposals yet to see light of day

Anantapur: The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has impacted all the industries including artisans and weavers, the third largest workforce in Anantapur district. The textile and apparel parks being developed by the State government to help weavers and artisans remains incomplete. No units were established in two textile parks as of date and the only unit started in Rayadurg of Anantapur district remains idle.

The establishment of textile and apparel parks was intended to increase employment and export of textiles/apparels. However, there were delays ranging from 23 to 180 months in establishment of parks due to improper selection of site, delay in transfer of lands to Department of Handlooms and Textiles, non-completion of infrastructure facilities and amenities.

According to CAG, it resulted in significant non-achievement of objectives of the parks as envisaged. There was 24 to 100 per cent shortfall in setting up of units in these parks while the shortfall in employment generation ranged from 74 to 100 per cent.

Thousands of workers particularly women are working in the garment industry and living in temporary camps at Bengaluru while the much-promised textile parks in Pamidi, Dharmavaram, Hindupur and Dharmavaram are yet to become a reality. The textile park constructed at Pamidi, Rayadurg are in dilapidated state. The equipment and machinery is useless as there is no coating and painting.

The Apparel park in Pamidi is centrally located, it can be used as Covid Care Centre instead of investing money on temporary sheds and pandals it can be utilised efficiently. Both the State and Central governments are responsible for the negligence towards weavers and the handloom industry for decades.

Ex-Principal of Intel Engineering College and a Social activist told The Hans India that the district has a great potential for emerging as textile hub and brighter prospects for employment generation, if the present YSRCP government applied its mind on the development of textile parks it will be a good initiative.

Government should focus on expanding the skills of artisans and working on developing other less intricate products and keep weaving tradition alive.

From 2002-03, efforts were on to develop textile and apparel parks, some export-oriented and some integrated parks with domestic market in focus. Under different schemes, 11 such parks were taken up in the State.

CAG for its auditing had reviewed five parks, one developed by a private party with government support (Brandix India Apparel City Private Limited), two by APIIC Apparel Export Park (AEP), Proddatur and Vizag Apparel Export Park) and two by the Department of Handlooms and Textiles (Textile park in Mylavaram and textile park in Rayadurg).

BIACPL and VAEP had received Central government assistance under the Scheme for Integrated Textile Park (SITP) and Apparel Parks for Exports Scheme (APES) respectively.