Biggest private sector employer in Kerala, Kitex Garments has backed out of Rs 3,500 crore investment project in Kerala, alleging an incessant witch hunt by the government. The project included opening of an apparel park in Kochi and establish industry parks at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Palakkad. Kitex has already acquired 30 acres of land for the apparel park at Kizhakkambalam in Kochi. The project report has also been completed and the project would have provided jobs for 20,000 people. The three industrial parks were envisaged to promote start-ups providing all infrastructural facilities. Each of these parks would have created 5,000 job opportunities.

Sabu M Jacob, Chairman and Managing Director, Kitex Group, said, he decided to scrap the project due to the continuous harassment by the government authorities. He alleged, 11 teams of officers from various departments raided the company during the past one month. Departments of labor, factories and boilers and even a team led by the district collector conducted a search on the premises.

Jacob said, other states provide free land, building, water, power and tax holiday for 10 years to investors. They also provide the PF and ESI share of the employees. Some states even offer Rs 5,000 salary for the employees for five years. The company doesn’t demand any benefits from the government. It only wants the government harassment to stop.