In a move that may bring smile on the faces of farmers in Vidarbha, Finley Mills at Achalpur will be expanded, a textile park will come up at Nandgaon Peth MIDC, cotton processing units will be set up at taluka level and closed NTC mills in Mumbai will be shifted to Vidarbha. This was decided at a high-level meeting with Union textile minister Santosh Gangwar and Union minister of state for small and medium industries Giriraj Singh. These decisions were taken to give relief to cotton growers of Amravati division.

A meeting asked Northern India Textile Research Association (Nitra) to prepare a DPR for the expansion of Finley Mills at Achalpur. The mill presently prepares 45,000 spindles. After the expansion, spindle production will go up to 70,000. The mill has 10 hectares land available for expansion. It was decided to complete the expansion work in a year’s time.

It was also decided to expeditiously develop the textile park at Nandgaon Peth MIDC near here over a 500 hectare land. At present, three companies have started work here while 73 hectares have been given to other eight companies to start work. District guardian minister Pravin Pote assured to give 100 hectares land to NTC provided it completed its work within a year.

It was also decided to ask small and medium industries ministry and agriculture ministry to work together to evolve a comprehensive policy after studying the problems of cotton growers of the region.

The meeting also discussed at length the issue of shifting of seven NTC-run closed cotton mills in Mumbai to Vidarbha region.