Maharashtra blueprint to boost cotton

The Maharashtra Government plans to chalk out a special policy to address the issues in the six integrated districts of the Vidarbha region to promote cotton production. The Vidarbha region comprises India’s largest growing cotton area, which includes Nagpur, Akola, Yavatmal, Washim, Wardha and Amravati districts. The Maharashtra Government hopes to spend Rs 2,000 crore as a part of the farm-to-fashion drive in the region.

For the year 2016-2017, the Maharashtra Government proposes a special budget allocation for promoting cotton based industries in the region, which includes spinning mills in Akola, Yavatmal, Washim, and Buldhana, and deal with the socio-economic issues in the region. The government also plans to turn Amravati district into an international textile hub and will combine three departments of agriculture, finance, and textile under this ambitious project. About 500 hectares of land for building a textile hub at Nandgaon has been approved and has received proposal from eight players. The plan of setting up cotton procurement centres in cities like Nagpur and Aurangabad is also under consideration by the Maharashtra Government.