Textile Commissioner brings smiles on mill workers
In the last four months, about 15,000 people, who were on the roll of closed textile mills in the country, have got satisfactory monetary succour.
In the last four months, about 15,000 people, who were on the roll of closed textile mills in the country, have got satisfactory monetary succour. Most of these mills were closed 10-to-15 years ago and most of these cases (of compensatory packages) were so much complicated, disputed and apparently weak. (In fact, some like that of Maharana Mills of Porbandar were even older — 22 years and more).
Why the sudden influx of action? Thank Jagadip Narayan Singh, the present Textile Commissioner. The 1983-batch IAS officer used the Textile Workers’ Rehabilitation Fund with a lot of efficiency to dole out the workers’ packages. In the process, he wriggled out of many legal tangles rather effortlessly.
Mr Singh’s occupation of the textile commissioner’s office coincides with one of the crucial phases of Indian textile industry’s development. After experiencing resurgence in the last three-to-four years with unprecedented capacity expansion, high domestic production and record exports, the industry presently feels shaken by the fast appreciating rupee. However, the textile commissioner firmly believes that this is a transient phenomenon and “the textile manufacturers would bounce back as the Indian industry did in 1990s, thanks to economic liberalisation and opening up”.
Mr Singh has played a crucial role in the effort that culminated in the launch of a technology mission for technical textiles by prime minister Manmohan Singh. The official had taken a slew of steps to encourage investment in this burgeoning segment of the industry — awareness campaigns, getting funding support under TUFS, setting manufacturing standards for the sector and establishing a centre of excellence for technology innovation. Mr Singh’s proposal for special
TUFS support to the unorganised sector — powerlooms and garment units — was readily accepted.
In late 2006, massive floods had wreaked havoc in the textile hub of Surat (which is the nerve centre of synthetic textile industry), bringing it to a grinding halt. Mr Singh was at the forefront of the official machinery which did a laudable crisis management job. Over 6,000 units were virtually nursed back to health.
A topper in management studies from the Asian Institute of Management, Philippines, Mr Singh has an advice for the smaller players in the industry: consolidate or go for niche products or do value addition.
Why the sudden influx of action? Thank Jagadip Narayan Singh, the present Textile Commissioner. The 1983-batch IAS officer used the Textile Workers’ Rehabilitation Fund with a lot of efficiency to dole out the workers’ packages. In the process, he wriggled out of many legal tangles rather effortlessly.
Mr Singh’s occupation of the textile commissioner’s office coincides with one of the crucial phases of Indian textile industry’s development. After experiencing resurgence in the last three-to-four years with unprecedented capacity expansion, high domestic production and record exports, the industry presently feels shaken by the fast appreciating rupee. However, the textile commissioner firmly believes that this is a transient phenomenon and “the textile manufacturers would bounce back as the Indian industry did in 1990s, thanks to economic liberalisation and opening up”.
Mr Singh has played a crucial role in the effort that culminated in the launch of a technology mission for technical textiles by prime minister Manmohan Singh. The official had taken a slew of steps to encourage investment in this burgeoning segment of the industry — awareness campaigns, getting funding support under TUFS, setting manufacturing standards for the sector and establishing a centre of excellence for technology innovation. Mr Singh’s proposal for special
TUFS support to the unorganised sector — powerlooms and garment units — was readily accepted.
In late 2006, massive floods had wreaked havoc in the textile hub of Surat (which is the nerve centre of synthetic textile industry), bringing it to a grinding halt. Mr Singh was at the forefront of the official machinery which did a laudable crisis management job. Over 6,000 units were virtually nursed back to health.
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A topper in management studies from the Asian Institute of Management, Philippines, Mr Singh has an advice for the smaller players in the industry: consolidate or go for niche products or do value addition.
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