GUWAHATI, Aug 18 � Altogether, eight cotton/man-made fibre textile mills of the non-SSI (Small Scale Industrial) variety are lying closed in the North Eastern States as on June 30 this year, as per Central Government data.
According to details provided by the Government in Parliament, three textile mills are registered with the Board for Industrial & Financial Reconstruction (BIFR), which has been set up under the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act to facilitate timely detection of sick and potentially sick companies and for the speedy determination of preventive, ameliorative and remedial measures which need to be taken in respect of such companies, including closed mills.
It said that the Ministry of Textiles has made a provision of Rs 1,038 crore under an umbrella scheme for the North Eastern region in the 12th Plan to take up need-based projects not covered under the regular schemes for promotion and development of the textile and apparel sector, including the weaving sector.
It added that the Centre has taken various policy initiatives under different schemes for the sector.
Under the Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS) and the Integrated Handlooms Development Scheme (IHDS), a total of 210 handloom clusters were sanctioned to the North Eastern States, including Sikkim, from 2007-08 to 2012-13, including 52 in Assam.
One of the clusters sanctioned for Assam is a mega cluster with up to 2,500 handlooms. The total number of beneficiaries under the schemes stood at over 1.19 lakh, with more than 41,000 hailing from Assam.
The Centre also released funds amounting to over Rs 65.39 crore under its schemes. Assam got over Rs 16.06 crore, while Manipur received Rs 22.27 crore during 2010-11 to July 2013.
The data said that during the period, the North Eastern States utilised Rs 45.64 crore, with Assam�s utilisation reportedly being Rs 8.82 crore.
In addition, over Rs 161.55 crore has been spent under various schemes for the development of silk and sericulture by the government during the period from 2010-11 till June 2013 in Assam, as per the data.
