The Telangana Government is in the process of formulating a textiles and apparel policy that contemplates waiver of personal loans of individual handloom weavers. Neither the cap on loans like in the case of farmers or the date when it should be made applicable has not yet been decided. Fresh loans were proposed to be given at 3 per cent interest. The policy is still under discussion at the government level, a senior official said.
The official told that the government is also studying what kind of subsidies could be given for capital investment and purchase of equipment by entrepreneurs. Tax incentives and power subsidy are being examined. A number of players in textiles industry at the national and international levels are awaiting the policy to invest and participate in production at Warangal textiles park.
The policy targets investments of at least five international and fifty domestic companies and setting up of five new textile parks with a view to generate employment for three lakh persons, a majority of them women. They will be invited to invest in spinning, weaving, processing and garment sectors. Linkage of technology to existing facilities in the industry and skill development will be focussed, sources said. On employment front, the objective is to see that the wages of individual weavers go up by at least 50 per cent.