The demand for opening of a Textile Park in Brahmpur has been intensified. A delegation of migrant workers and members of “Sugam” led by BJP leader and social activist Srikanta Padhi submitted a memorandum to the State Governor through Block Development Officer at Kabisurya Nagar (Ganjam) here on Thursday in this regard.
According to an estimate, out of 7.5 lakhs of Odias working in different textile and cotton mills in Surat (Gujrat) and Mumbai, nearly 4.5 lakh of them are from Ganjam district alone. Though the district is full of natural resources and having all the required infrastructure, including raw materials and cheap labour force, the spiraling increase in the number of unemployment of youths in the State is quite unprecedented and alarming, Padhi said.
If the Government can keep up its promise to establish a Textile Park in Brahmapur, not only the locally available natural resources can be well utilised, but also the district can become economically self reliant, Padhi claimed.
In event of establishing the Textile Park in the district, lakhs of Odia workers those who are skilled and expertise in textile industry domain and currently working in Surat and Mumbai can be brought back to their home district and can be engaged in the park to earn their livelihood, Padhi pointed out.
Similarly, out of more than 3,50,000 cotton flowers with seeds (a type of jute fabric) being produced from Rayagada, Nawarangpur, Kalahandi, Nuapada, and Balangir districts of the State, nearly two lakhs of such seeds are reportedly exported from Odisha while the remaining 1.50 seeds are going to Andhra Pradesh, Padhi pointed out. It is quite deplorable that, two of the oldest cotton mills of Odisha, namely, Choudwar and Aska have been closed since long in spite of huge textile experts and skilled workers available in Ganjam district, he told.