Tweak in textile plan

Calcutta, July 23: The Bengal government will set up a committee to prepare a new textile policy for the state.

“I have given orders to my additional chief secretary (Anup Chandra) to set up a committee to consider the prospects of textile industry in the state. The committee that shall be declared soon will look after the textile policy of the state,” Bengal textile minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia said here today.

The ministry will also come out with a policy paper to develop the powerloom and handloom units.

The committee will involve the secretaries of the relevant departments as well as various industry associations at the national and state levels. The panel will also help the textile units get the benefits of the Centre’s technology upgradation fund scheme.

Bhunia said he would take up the issue of credit flow to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) with banks and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Bhunia, who is also the state MSME minister, said both textile and small and medium units could not take advantage of the Centre’s schemes because of the poor economic policies of the previous government.

MSMEs can fill the gap created by the absence of large industries, Bhunia said.