The Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA) convened textile industry meet with Selvi S Keerthana, Hon’ble Minister for Industries, Government of Tamil Nadu today at SIMA with the Office-Bearers of All Textile Associations representing entire textile value chain in the State. The Hon’ble Member of Legislative Assembly Tmt. Kanimozhi Santhosh, Kavundampalayam Constituency; Thiru N M. Sukumar, Sulur Constituency and Thiru K. S. Sri Giri Prasath, Singanallur Constituency also attended the meeting.
Tamil Nadu textile industry that accounts 1/3rd of the textile business size has been facing numerous challenges in the recent years due to abnormal increase in the various costs of production especially the power cost. Since Tamil Nadu produces only 3-4% of its annual cotton requirement and does not have any Man-Made Fibre manufacturing facility in the State, the industry could mitigate the challenges and sustain its survival only due to the manufacturing excellence and unique entrepreneurial skills.
The Hon’ble Chief Minister, Thiru C Joseph Vijay, soon as he assumed charges favourably considered two important needs of the industry viz., recommending to the Central Government to exempt cotton from 11% import duty during the cotton off-season and also refraining from implementing the proposed electricity tariff increase to the tune of 3.48%, both the initiatives have greatly helped the industry to meet the export commitments and bounce back from the crisis.
At the interaction meeting with the Office-Bearers of All Textile Associations held today with Selvi S Keerthana, Hon’ble Minister for Industries, Government of Tamil Nadu promised to take up all the demands of All Textile Associations that represents the Tamil Nadu textile industry, with the Hon’ble Chief Minister and facilitate to take positive steps in a time bound manner. She acknowledged the urgent need for addressing power related issues and the challenges faced by the textile processing sector in the State, the weakest link in the entire textile value chain. She also indicated taking favorable steps to enable ease of doing business by constituting a Policy Advocacy Committee comprising of all the major stakeholders of the industry in Tamil Nadu.
In a press release issued here today, Mr Durai Palanisamy, Chairman, SIMA has requested the Hon’ble Minister for Industries, to consider
• Permitting annual banking facility for windmills commissioned after 2018 for captive consumers
• Allowing the excess solar generation, after adjustment during solar hours to be adjusted during the night hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
• Waiving the penal interest charges levied on the pending deemed demand charges to encourage speedy settlement of the issue.
• Freezing the demand charges at the existing rate of Rs.608 per kVA per month for a period of three years
• Withdrawing the collection of network charges for the rooftop solar power generation
• Exempting open access power from cross subsidy and additional surcharges for a period of 10 years for all the new investments.
• A long-term solution for the treatment and disposal for textile effluents at a competitive rate.
