NIFT can be on PPP model: Centre

Thursday, 12/09/2013

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Ludhiana : Union Textiles Minister K Sambasiva Rao, on Wednesday, said that if the Punjab government is not able to give land and provide infrastructure for setting up a National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Ludhiana, we are ready to engage with a private entity.

“Setting up NIFT in Ludhiana is the need of the hour to further develop the industry and to provide employment opportunities to the local youth. Every state government has to provide land and building to us, we then provide the technical expertise. If the Punjab government cannot give money for this project, we are ready even if a private industrialist sends us proposal for the same,” said Rao.

Rao also announced Rs 10 crore for the Exhibition Centre within the upcoming Apparel Park, for the textile sector in the town. He also assured all possible support from the Government of India to promote the knitwear industry.

Agreeing to the industry demand for a training centre in the city, the minister said that the District Industries Centre (DIC) will be asked for immediate action.

Rao exhorted the industrialists to give them a proposal for providing training to their labour and he will definitely help them. In order to promote training of unskilled labour, Rao announced that the Centre will provide Rs 10,000 for each trainee whom the industry undertakes to train.

“The cost of production can only come down if the labour is skilled. And after it comes down, the exports will increase which is the need of the hour,” said Rao.

He said that the textile industry of Punjab has a big role to play to reduce the current account deficit (CAD) and help in reviving the sagging economy.

Rao said that the issues of imports related to textiles have been resolved by the Centre, and he expects the sector to look up and contribute more to the Forex kitty.

The steps included removal of Central Excise Duty on certain items. He also promised to take up the issue of warehousing facilities in major Latin American countries.

To the industry’s demand of anti-dumping duty on cheap products being sent by China, Indonesia and Bangladesh, Rao assured that he will take up the issue with the Ministry of Finance.

Modi’s alphabet starts from F for fake counter: Tewari

Ludhiana : Reacting to Narendra Modi’s taunt on Congress, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari, on Wednesday, said that his alphabetical primer begins with ‘F’, which stands for Fake Encounter and ends with ‘G’ for Genocide.

“I do not know whether they are learning the A-B-C-D of politics or they are not learning the X-Y-Z of politics, but I do know that the alphabetical primer that he follows starts with F that stands for Fake Encounter and ends with G which stands for Genocide,” said Tewari in a press conference.

Modi, while addressing a massive rally in Jaipur, on Tuesday, had said that the country should be rid of Congress rule to make it corruption free. He had devised an alphabetical primer to take a jibe at the Congress over a spate of graft cases and said “A for Adarsh Ghotala, B for Bofors Ghotala, C for Coal ghotala, D for Damad ka ghotala (corruption)... this is the new A-B-C-D... which the Congress adopted to introduce a new book of alphabets for children.”

He also attacked the BJP for being just a tool in the hands of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh. “They criticise Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for taking advice from UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The truth is that BJP’s every decision is taken in Nagpur, headquarters of the RSS.”