By Sujit Chakraborty
Agartala, May 20 (IANS): Readymade garments' manufacturing units are being set up in all the eight northeastern states to boost employment, mostly for women, skill upgradation and marketing, a senior official said Wednesday.
"The under-construction readymade garment manufacturing units would develop employment, mainly for women, skill upgradation, garment development and marketing. There is also a bright chance of exporting readymade garments to the neighbouring countries," union Textiles Ministry secretary S.K. Panda told IANS.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given special attention to the textiles ministry with special focus on the northeastern states. Each garment manufacturing unit isexpected to generate direct employment for 1,200 people, mostly women," he added.
Modi had announced the setting up of one garment manufacturing unit in each of the eight northeastern states when he visited Nagaland last December.
Works to establish the units has started in five states - Nagaland, Manipur, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
On Wednesday, the foundation stone for the Tripura unit was jointly laid by Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and the union Minister of State for Textiles Santosh Kumar Gangwar.
"The textile ministry has been providing Rs.18 crore for each ready-made garment manufacturing unit called Apparel and Garment Making Centre (AGMC)," Panda said.
He said that a Rs.427 crore scheme has also been sanctioned recently to promote geotechnical textiles in northeast India. This would be helpful in stabilising roads, addressing the problem of landslides and preserving waterbodies," said Panda, who was Tripura's chief secretary until March.
Geotechnical textiles provide the functional advantages of higher endurance and durability in roads, embankments and infrastructure projects. Most of the developed countries have established empirical evidence about these advantages through numerous studies as well as onsite trials.
The topography of the northeast region makes application of geotechnical textiles particularly suitable for the region in infrastructure projects relating to road construction and controlling the erosion of river banks and hill slopes.
"If the eight AGMC units are successful, similar units will come up in select districts later," Panda added.
He said the government-run National Building Constructions Corporation would set up the eight AGMC units, which would be run by the local entrepreneurs with the requisite background.
India's northeastern states border China, Myanmar, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Some of the states have trade ties with some of these countries, especially Bangladesh and Myanmar.
"It will be a new beginning for the organised textiles sector in northeast India," Panda said.
The units are expected to meet the demand for garments from police and paramilitary forces in every state besides government officials as well as school uniforms.
Panda said that the initiative comes under the North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS) of the textiles ministry.
The NERTPS is an umbrella scheme for the development of various segments of textiles, including silk, handlooms, handicrafts and apparels and garments. The scheme has a Rs. 1038.10 crore outlay during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17).
India's share in the global apparel and garment market is now just 3.7 percent as against Bangladesh's 6.1 percent and Vietnam's 4.3 percent, indicating that India has the potential to step up output.