Non-resident Odia (NRO) Professor Digambara Patra of the American University of Beirut, Lebanon has urged CM Naveen Patnaik to establish another textile and cotton park at Bhawanipatna

In a letter, he said that while the Odisha Government has accorded recent approval for a 1,000-acre textile park at Dhamra and another 1,000-acre medical park at Dhenkanal, it is silent on industrial development in the Kalahandi, Balangir, Koraput and Kandhamal (KBKK) region.

Earlier, the State Government has also approved for a 800 acre for a Textile Park at Malipada, Bhubaneswar. Similarly, a 500-acre petrochemical downstream park at Baleswar is under consideration. Although these initiatives by the State Government is appreciable, the Government’s lack of enthusiasm to focus in industrial development in  (KBKK) region is worrisome, he told.

The KBK region has great potential in alumina, cotton and agriculture-based industries. Unfortunately, most of the aluminum based downstream parks are being established outside of the KBK district. At the same time, the KBK districts play a significant and major role in cotton production in Odisha. Cotton cultivated in Kalahandi, Nuapada, Rayagada, Koraput, and Balangir districts is well known for its quality internationally. Nevertheless, both the textile parks proposed by the Odisha Government are coming in the coastal Odisha region and none of them has been proposed in KBK region. Konark Spinning Mill in Kesinga has remained closed for 27 years, he told.

District wise Kalahandi is among the topmost districts for cotton production and Bhawanipatna is located centrally to all the major districts under cotton cultivation such as Kalahandi, Bolangir, Rayagada and Koraput as per the Odisha Government data. Similarly, Kalahandi, Subarnapur, Bargarh and Koraput region is known for handloom textiles.  It will be ideal to encourage a textile park where cotton is widely grown in the State to provide direct benefit to the farmers and add value to their products, he opined.