Kinfra to set up integrated textile park at Kanjikode

Kochi: Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) is setting up an integrated textile park at Kanjikode in Palakkad district as per the Scheme for Integrated Textile Park (SITP) of the Union Ministry of Textiles.

The park, to be developed in 350 acres of land, will have the facilities of international standards and high quality testing laboratory, design centre, training centre, trade centre/ display centre, warehousing facility, raw material department and etc.

The Chief Minister, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, laid the foundation stone for the park on Friday in the presence of the State Industries Minister, Mr Elamaram Kareem, and Electricity Minister, Mr A.K. Balan.

Mr A.S. Suresh Babu, Managing Director, Kinfra, said that the Ministry of Textiles has formulated this new scheme by merging the two existing schemes, such as the Apparel Parks for Exports (APE) Scheme and the Textile Centre Infrastructure Development (TCID) Scheme. SITP is aimed at providing the textile industry with world-class infrastructure facilities for setting up textile units.

The scheme, which facilitates textile units to meet international environmental and social standards, envisages the creation of 25 textile parks throughout the country by 2007-08. The Ministry of Textiles would implement the scheme through special purpose vehicles. Industry associations/ groups would be the main promoters of the integrated textile parks (ITPs). The SPVs should have operational autonomy.

LAND OFFER


Kinfra offers to provide land in these places for setting up of the parks. As per the guidelines of the SITP, industry associations/groups will be the main promoters of the textiles parks. The Centre will support the scheme by way of grant or equity limited to 40 per cent of the project cost subject to a ceiling of Rs 40 crore.

The scheme helps the textile industry to take benefit from the open world trade in textiles that came into existence from 2005. Moreover, it helps in boosting the export turnover from the State and provide direct as well as indirect job opportunities.