Congress sets up 'Save Industries Committee'

Now the textile industry of Surat has a new saviour. Congress. With several problems plaguing the industry and with no end in sight, the Surat city Congress has decided to set up a "Udyog Bachav Samiti" (Save Industries Committee) to help prop up the industry.

The committee has primarily targeted the ruling Bhratiya Janata Party (BJP) for all the ills and the difficulties faced by the textile industry. The committee has members from different trade associations.

The Committee has adopted a five-point agenda, which include issues like the orders issued by the state government for recovery of subsidy granted to the textile industry by the Keshbubhai Patel government, the government's apathy towards developing the Surat airport, non-fulfillment of the promise to grant two per cent subsidy by the state government under the Textile Upgradation Fund (TUF) scheme and the ever increasing overhead costs of vital inputs like gas, water, fuel and other local taxes.

"Kashiram Rana is the Union Textile Minister from Surat. Tell me what has he done for the textile industry of Surat", asked eminent chartered accountant and Chairman of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Economic Policy Cell, Rupin Patchigar.

The most important issue that the Committee is taking up is that of the orders issued by the state government to recover the 30 per cent subsidy granted by the Keshubhai Patel government to the textile industry of Surat about four years back.

Similarly the issue of airport has been hanging afire since the past many years. Though the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has formally started work on developing the Surat airport, the industry views this as a mere eyewash and it would take another ten years before the airport is fully developed.

"Come election time and they start some repair work claming that Surat would soon get a full fledged airport. This is just like dangling a carrot before the horse and now people of Surat have seen enough of this game of BJP", Patchigar said.

The committee also wants a sort of a safety net for small textile weavers and traders.