215 textiles mills shut in last 8 years: Anand Sharma

NEW DELHI: The government today said 215 cotton/man-made fibre textiles mills, which employed 69,774 workers, were closed during the last eight years.

"215 cotton/man-made fibre textiles mills (non-SSI) having 69,774 workers on rolls were closed during the past eight years," Textiles Minister Anand Sharma said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

Under the Textile Workers Rehabilitation Fund Scheme (TWRFS), the government provides interim relief to the textiles workers rendered unemployed due to closure of units in the private sector.

Till March 31, 2012, 1.13 lakh workers have been benefitted from the scheme, Sharma said.

The government has said that necessary amendment in the TWRFS would be made to expedite the benefits to textiles workers under the scheme.

As on March 31, 2012, there were 1,957 cotton/man-made textiles mills employing 8.58 lakh workers, Sharma said.