(a) the steps taken by the Government to protect small textile industries at the time of recession;
(b) the steps taken by the Government to protect jute industries from imported substitute goods especially in West Bengal; and
(c) whether the Government had taken any steps to increase market of Indian textiles and if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES
(SHRI AJAY TAMTA)
(a): Government has launched various schemes/packages including Special Package for Garment and Made-ups segment, Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS), Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP), Scheme for Integrated Textile Processing Development (IPDS),and Technology Mission on Technical Textiles (TMTT) and various schemes for upgradation and strengthening of the decentralized Powerloom Sector which includes In-situ Up-gradation of Plain Powerloom, Group Workshed Scheme (GWS) and Modified Comprehensive Powerloom Cluster Development Scheme (MCPCDS). The above schemes enable the textile industry, including the small industries, to upgrade and make them competitive to face the global challenges.
(b): In order to protect jute industries for imported substitute goods especially in West Bengal, the Government has taken the following steps:-
I. All the importers and traders have been directed to register their units with the office of the Jute Commissioner.
II. Importers are required to submit monthly statements providing details of import to O/o JC with 4 working days of the following month, failing which their registration is liable to be suspended.
III. Customs authorities have been requested to allow only registered importers to import raw jute/jute products from Nepal and Bangladesh.
IV. An anti dumping duty has been imposed on imports of several jute items from Bangladesh and Nepal.
(c): To increase market for Indian textiles, government has been organizing National/International Fairs/ Exhibitions across the country and abroad. Government is setting up Common Facility Centers for direct marketing of their products by beneficiaries etc. Buyers-sellers meet are also being organized across the country wherein the indigenous manufacturers can showcase their products. Institutional buyers, Government officials, users are invited to share their requirements with buyers. B2B meetings are also arranged during the buyer seller meets. For increasing exports, different Export Promotion Councils are organizing Buyer-Seller Meets abroad regularly. Similarly Reverse-Buyer-Seller meets are also being organized, wherein foreign buyers are participating.
Further, the Special Package for Employment Generation and Promotion of Exports in Textile and Apparel and Made-ups Sector is expected to generate a cumulative increase of Rs. 1,95,765 crores in exports and investment of Rs. 80,040 crores over next 3 years. Under the said Package, it is proposed to enhance duty draw back coverage by way of introducing a new scheme to refund the state levies which were not refunded so far. This move is expected to greatly boost the competitiveness of Indian exports in foreign markets.
*****