Textile industry will flourish only if CETPs are established: Minister

Calls upon industrialists to handover the required land for the CETPs in five districts

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by power loom clusters with 25 educational institutions in the presence of ministers at the special plenary session of Textile Fair at Texvalley in Erode on Friday.

Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise, P. Thangamani, has called upon industrialists to handover the required land for establishing zero liquid discharge-based Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) in the five districts in the region.

At the special plenary session of Premier Textile Fair, Weaves, at Texvalley, here on Friday, he said that next to agriculture, textile industry provided jobs to 45 lakh people in the State and problems in dyeing were a major challenge to the growth of the industry. Former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had announced establishing CETPs at ₹ 700 crore as most of the units in Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Namakkal and Karur districts were cottage industries. But industrialists were yet to provide the land, he added.

The Minister said that if textile industry needed to flourish, a permanent solution was needed which was establishing CETPs. He said that the government would create awareness among the villagers that the CETPs would not pollute groundwater.

Mr. Thangamani said that currently 18,000 MW power was generated in the State and an additional 5,000 MW was needed in the near future, of which Tangedco had proposed to generate 4,000 MW by 2023. “But a few farmers’ organisations and political parties are stirring people to protest against erection of electric towers in farm lands”, he said and called upon people to cooperate in implementing new schemes.

Minister for Industries, Steel Control and Special Initiatives, M.C. Sampath said industrial growth in the State was positive as the State led in 12 sectors in the country. He said a total of 2,216 companies had applied in the single window clearance portal of which 168 proposals were cleared and work had begun. These companies would provide jobs to 44,000 people, he added. Minister for School Education K.A. Sengottaiyan said the department had proposed to provide skill training in textile sector as the opportunities were enormous.

A Memorandum of Understanding was also singed by power loom clusters with 25 educational institutions that would help design and market textile products.