Government has taken a number of initiatives in order to ensure holistic development of the entire textile sector including powerloom across the country including Malegaon, Maharashtra. The major schemes/initiatives include PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks Scheme which seeks to create a modern, integrated large scale, world class industrial ecosystem, which will help in attracting investments and boosting employment; Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme focusing on Man Made Fibre & Apparel, and Technical Textiles to boost large scale manufacturing and enhancing competitiveness; National Technical Textiles Mission focusing on Research Innovation & Development, Promotion and Market Development, Skilling and Export Promotion; SAMARTH – Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector with the objective providing demand driven, placement oriented, skilling program; ATUFS to incentivize technology upgradation and modernization through capital investment subsidy for eligible investment in benchmarked textile machinery; Silk Samagra-2 for comprehensive development of sericulture value chain; National Handloom Development Program (NHDP) and National Handicraft Development Program (NHDP) for end to end support for handloom and handicraft sectors etc.

In addition, the Government of Maharashtra is implementing the Integrated and Sustainable Textile Policy 2023-2028 to support various components of the textile value chain in Maharashtra including Powerlooms. The Maharashtra Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (MAHA_TUFS) seeks to facilitate Powerlooms in Maharashtra including Malegaon in augmenting investments, productivity, quality, employment and exports through various incentives to the eligible units for technology upgradation as per specified guidelines.

Trade remedy mechanism is available for addressing issues of dumping and cheap imports and domestic industry is eligible to file applications to seek relief against such imports to Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR).  After detailed investigations, preliminary/final findings are issued by DGTR based on which, Department of Revenue imposes provisional/definitive anti-dumping duties.

Production activity in all 23 operational NTC Mills was suspended due to Covid-19 and nationwide lockdown imposed by Central/States governments from March, 2020. Normal operations were resumed in some of the NTC Mills from January, 2021, which could not continue due to unavailability of working capital and other financial constraints.

There is no such proposal under consideration for the establishment of Mega Investment Textile Park in Malegaon to support power loom weavers.

Government had been also implementing a Group Insurance Scheme against death/disability for Powerloom weavers. Financial assistance of Rs.15.69 crore for 3,148 death claims were provided from 2003-2019 under Group Insurance Scheme (GIS) in the state of Maharashtra. Besides social security benefits through scholarship of Rs. 48.65 lakh for 5,539 children of powerloom workers were provided under Shiksha Sahayog Yojana in the state of Maharashtra since inception. Since 1.4.2020, the Group Insurance Scheme has been converged with Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY).

This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES SHRI PABITRA

MARGHERITA in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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DHANYA SANAL K

DIRECTOR

(Lok Sabha US Q4020)

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