Indian ministry in process of obtaining cabinet nod for MITRA scheme

The Indian textile ministry is in the process of obtaining cabinet approval for the proposed Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) scheme under which seven such parks will be set up in the country over the next three years, minister of state for textiles Darshana Jardosh informed parliament recently. The scheme was announced in the last union budget.

"Once, the proposed scheme is approved and modalities are finalised, the details of location, government funding structure etc. will be decided," she said in a written reply to the parliament lower house (Lok Sabha).

In a separate reply, the minister said during the pandemic, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) procured 20.72 lakh bales valued at ₹5,615 crore from 4 lakh cotton farmers, a news agency reported.

However, during the entire cotton season 2019-20, CCI made a record procurement of 105.15 lakh bales (equivalent to around 546.80 lakh quintal kapas) and an amount of ₹28,500 crore was disbursed to around 21.50 lakh cotton farmers directly into their bank accounts, she said.

"During current cotton season 2020-21 (October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021), CCI opened more than 450 procurement centres in all cotton growing state. CCI continued its procurement of cotton under MSP operations since beginning of season to avoid the eventuality of distress sale by farmers and has procured 91.89 lakh bales so far (equivalent to around 482 lakh quintal kapas)," Jardosh said.

CCI disbursed an amount of ₹26,700 crore to around 19 lakh cotton farmers, she added.