KTR seeks funds from Centre to develop handlooms, textiles industry in Telangana

KTRS wants the funds to develop the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park and to sanction a mega power loom cluster at Sircilla.

The minister, in his letter on 24 December, said the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park (KMTP) at Warangal would take off in fiscal 2021-22. "KMTP is being developed at a total estimated project cost of ₹1,552 crores of which the core infrastructure works would cost approximately ₹1,094 crores. We have aligned our project activities such that major external and internal infrastructure works at KMTP can be taken up immediately upon receipt of the proposed financial support under the mega textile park scheme," said KTR.

KTR wants the Centre to sanction ₹300 crores, of the ₹500 crores capital support that is available for a mega textile park, to kickstart major infrastructure works. The revised guidelines of the comprehensive power loom cluster development scheme (CPCDS) will be implemented beyond the 12th Five Year Plan (2017-18 to 2019-20) to develop clusters that have a concentration of about 5,000 decentralised power looms or more by providing assistance to various segments such as infrastructure common facilities, other need-based innovations, technology up-gradation, and skill development, the MAUD minister said.

According to the state government's power loom geo-tagging report, there are 35,588 power looms in Telangana, out of which the majority of power looms (25,495) are in Sircilla district. Keeping this in mind, KTR said that Sircilla district is best suitable to house a mega power loom cluster under CPCDS.

The minister said that keeping in view the plan outlay of ₹99.99 crores (₹75 crores for power loom mega cluster and ₹24.99 crores for silk mega cluster) provided for beyond 12th Plan, the CPCDS assistance of the Central government for each approved power loom and silk mega cluster project would be limited to ₹50 crores, inclusive of administrative expenditure, M&E, and professional fee, beyond the 12th Five Year Plan. Also, overflow, if any, will go to the next plan.

KTR requested the minister to sanction a mega power loom cluster at Sircilla in Telangana and sanction an amount of ₹ 49.84 crores from the projected outlay of ₹993.65 crores for the same. He said that Telangana has a rich heritage in handlooms and handicrafts that provide employment to a large number of artisans in rural areas. There are more than 40,000 handloom workers mainly in Yadadri Bhongir, Gadwal, Warangal, Rajanna Sircilla, and Karimnagar districts. Apart from that, there are about 49,000 power looms in the state out of which 36,000 are in Sircilla alone.

In the letter, the state minister also requested the Centre to sanction an Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT) in Telangana. "At present, there is no such institute in Telangana to offer a course in diploma in handloom technology. Students are finding it very difficult and are going to neighboring states such as Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka to enroll in the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology. Keeping in view the potential of the handloom sector and the necessity of creating a skilled human resource, there is a dire need to set up an IIHT in Telangana," wrote KTR. He further said that sufficient land and buildings are available at the handloom park in Pochampally, Yadadri Bhongir district, for the establishment of IIHT.

The minister also requested the Centre upgrade power looms in the state under the In-SITU scheme and sanction block-Level handloom clusters under NHDP.