The Government of Gujarat is planning to come out with a new textile policy before the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, which will take place in January, announced the Government. The announcement followed a meeting of State government officials and textile industry stakeholders chaired by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in Gandhinagar. The state’s last textile policy unveiled in 2012 expired last year.
Dhriubhai Shah of Yarn Association, Heman Bodawala, a representative from the powerloom sector, and Hemant Desai of the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) also attended the meeting. Representatives from the textile sector have been meeting and making representations to the state government in the last one year to frame a new textile policy.
The chief minister has assured that a major demand of reduction in power tariff is also being looked into in the policy, said SGCCI president Hetal Mehta. The SGCCI has demanded power concession of 50 per cent on billed amount for a period of five years. In 2012 textile policy, there was power subsidy of one rupee per unit in the billed amount for a period of five years.
As there was no capital subsidy in the earlier policy, SGCCI has suggested that for man-made fibres, cotton, blended weaving and knitting, there should be a ceiling of subsidy amount of Rs 20 crore.