By IANS,
New Delhi : The slowdown in the textile sector is a matter of concern, union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma told parliament Monday.
“There is a slowdown in the textile sector. It is a matter of concern,” Sharma told the Lok Sabha during question hour while answering a supplementary question by Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Suresh Chanabasappa Angadi.
“One of the reasons is the impact of global economic slowdown,” the minister added.
Communist Party of India-Marxist’s Basudev Acharia said the flooding of Indian markets with foreign goods has added to the woes of the weavers.
The union minister said the government will look into the complaints of dumping of silk and textile goods by foreign countries.
He said, “The cabinet had sanctioned a Rs.3,800 crore relief package for the weavers in the country recently. Several high-powered committees and the Planning Commission were studying the problems of the weavers in detail”.
Angadi said the weavers in his constituency, Belgaum in Karnataka, were facing severe economic hardships and unemployment. Annu Tandon of the Congress said the situation was same in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh – once called the “Manchester of the east”.
Sharma said the government would take all steps to provide assistance to the weavers and help the marketing and export of the Indian textiles.