The Hindu Business Line : Plea to make Tirupur Special Export Zone

A REQUEST to treat the hosiery town of Tirupur and its adjoining villages as a `Special Export Zone' and grant a special financial package to upgrade its infrastructure has been made to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, by the Coimbatore Lok Sabha MP, Mr K. Subbarayan (CPI).

He has expressed the fear that the town may lose its pre-eminent position as a preferred destination for sourcing of garments by importers the world over if it continued to suffer from poor infrastructure facilities.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, the MP pointed out that the town has a population of more than a million with a daily floating population of about 2 lakh.

The town has a large number of garment manufacturing units, apart from production units involved in ancillary activities. The town has earned a foreign exchange of Rs 6,000 crore during last year and it has the potential to reach greater heights, he said.

Mr Subbarayan said while buyers from across the world came to Tirupur to source their requirements, the city is beset with infrastructure problems . The town has more than 250 unapproved layouts and as per town planning rules, the local administration could not take up infrastructure works in such areas.

He pointed out that the Common Minimum Programme' of the UPA Government has laid special emphasis on infrastructure development and said that if Tirupur continued to suffer from poor infrastructure, it may put off foreign buyers which would have serious impact on the economy of the town and its neighbouring areas.

He requested the Prime Minister to treat entire Tirupur as a Special Export Zone and provide a special financial package to improve its infrastructure facilities that is imperative if the town is to retain its edge as a garment exporter.

More Stories on : Knitwear & Hosiery | Tamil Nadu

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