The Hindu : Front Page : Salem weaving park a distant dream

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Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008
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Salem weaving park a distant dream

S. Ramesh

SALEM: While Erode is all set to have a full-fledged weaving park, a similar facility in Salem remains a distant dream thanks to difference of opinion among a few leading textile industry people.

Promoters of the integrated textile park in Salem have not even identified a site for the facility despite a few earlier initiatives. But their counterparts in Erode have set up a limited company for the establishment of Erode Hi-Tech Weaving Park and identified a site near Perundurai.

The company has even paid advance for land. It has also submitted a detailed project report to the Central and state governments for subsidy.

“We will get the final approval in July and start construction works in three months,” company Managing Director K. Marappan told The Hindu.

As for the park in Salem, the textile industry here has formed a trust called Salem Integrated Textile Park Trust and decided to launch the project as a public-private partnership venture. An industry delegation recently met officials of the state government and Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) Limited.

But nothing tangible has emerged from these initiatives. Trust Chairman C.P. Damodharan said the trust and industry had sorted out all differences and initiated measures to establish the park as soon as possible. The inordinate delay in establishing the hi-tech park has slowed down the progress of the textile industry here.

Many of the weaving units, which are yet to go for modernisation, are facing challenges and fighting for their survival because of globalisation. Creation of common infrastructure facilities and cluster development activities are important for the sustainable progress of the textile industry in Salem, weavers say.

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