Kalaburagi MP Umesh Jadhav has called on Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman at the latter’s office in New Delhi and urged her to sanction a mega textile park for Kalaburagi district and also requested her to fix the minimum support price (MSP) at ₹8,000 per quintal for red gram crop.
In a letter addressed to Ms. Sitharaman, he said that an announcement has been made to establish seven Mega Integrated Textiles region and Apparel (PM_MITRA) across the Country in the 2021-22 Budget Speech, for the overall development of the Textile sector in India. Even Karnataka government has sent a proposal to set up the proposed Mega Textile Park either in Kalaburagi or in Vijayapura. Kalaburagi district being the divisional headquarter of Kalyana Karnataka region, is said to be the most backward district. Mr. Jadhav said that the State government has reserved a 1550 acres of land in Firozabad, Nadisinnur and Kiranagi villages in Kalaburagi district for the development of textile park
Mr. Jadhav said that it is the need of the hour to take up more developmental activities and sought Central government’s support for the State’s economical upliftment. The garment Industry is growing rapidly and investors are hardly finding land in Metros, if we provide proper infrastructure for this growing industry, in turn it will address the unemployment issue of the aspiration district to a great extent, he stated.
Mr. Jadhav also demanded Ms. Sitharaman to announce MSP for red gram at ₹8,000 per quintal. He urged to fix MSP as per the M.S. Swaminathan Report, which recommends 50 percent more than the amount the farmers spends on farming including the expenditure on seeds, fertilisers , pesticides and laborer charges.
Further, Mr. Jadhav said that it has to be brought to the notice of Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP) through a comprehensive report on the total costs of farming and the senior officials should be prepared to understand the MSP difference between red gram and green gram, he added.
Mr. Jadhav also urged that the tax on pulses imported from abroad should be increased and importing of discarded pulses should be stopped. A representation from this Red gram growing region in the CACP can find permanent solution for all issues, as there is no representative from the southern State in the Commission for the last 25 years.
