TUF procedure to be made online

In order to overcome any possible procedural hassles and also delay and confusion over the communication to beneficiaries on the Textile Upgradation Fund Scheme, the Textile Ministry has decided to put every thing online, a top official has said.
The beneficiaries can check all information from application to sanction of fund and subsidy and related matters with regard to TUF online and once the software was ready it would be launched, Kiran Sony Gupta, Textile Commissioner, Mumbai, said at an interaction last night.
The meet was organised by Southern India Mills' Association.
The online facility will be based on four parts - beneficiaries, bankers, the office of textile commissioner and the Ministry, so that there would not be any yawning gap in the process from application to sanction, she said.

Gupta was responding to the problems raised by mills on specific issues, including non-receipt of subsidy and the "blackout" period of the scheme.
Later clarifying to reporters, the official said of the total sanction of Rs 19,500 crore, there was a committed liability of over Rs 9,500 crore.

Since the industry required at least Rs 2,500 crore as fund each year, the department has sought additional allocation to meet the demand, so that more mills could be modernised, to give a competitive edge to the Indian textile industry, she said.
On the new Textile Policy, she said the draft policy was almost ready and the ministry was awaiting more suggestions and proposals from various stakeholders.

Of the 23 lakh powerlooms, only about 1.25 lakh looms have taken advantage of the TUF and other schemes, it was observed.