Infrastructure delays Mysore textile park

The textile park on the outskirts of Mysore, one of the seven such parks proposed by the Karnataka government, has generated keen interest among investors but issues like land acquisition and infrastructure needs to be tackled at a faster pace for the park to become a reality.

Around 20 textile manufacturers, including a few from abroad, have shown interest in setting up their shops in the 257-acre textile park proposed at Kochanahalli and Kadakola villages of Mysore taluk, on the Mysore-Ooty highway.

Kadakola is also linked by rail as the Mysore-Chamarajanagar line passes through this place. The river Kapila runs close by offering required amount and quality of water for textile units.

In keeping with its proposal to develop six textile parks and an apparel park in the state, the Karnataka government made it known a few months ago that the park would come up under the special purpose vehicle (SPV) scheme to be registered under the Companies Act. Representatives of the textile units proposing to set up their units in the park should become its members.

The special purpose vehicle scheme proposes making available basic requirements like road, power and drainage depending upon the requirements of a textile unit.

These facilities will be made available under a comprehensive development scheme to be prepared and forwarded to the Centre, which offers subsidy also.

A leading manufacturer of top quality branded inner garments in Sri Lanka is among the investors who have shown keen interest in the park. A Sri Lankan team visited Mysore recently for the purpose.

But, the very scheme under which entrepreneurs themselves have to undertake infrastructure creation to suit their requirements has run into a disadvantage, as those who are interested in having their units are from different places.

Hence, there cannot be a combined effort for developing infrastructure. They, therefore, look towards the state government to acquire land and develop the infrastructure needed in the park.

This tangle is holding up the project and needs to be resolved soon if the proposal has to become a reality or the intending investors think of alternate locations.

Development of the textile park is expected to generate at least 20,000 jobs and mainly for women, who are presently depending on agricultural and rural based jobs. It can boost the economy as well, authorities feel.

"There is a very good scope if this park is developed," says joint director of industries and commerce, district industries centre, H Prakash.

"The Kapila river water is of ideal quality for textile manufacturing purposes. Investors are ready to invest between Rs 5 and 50 crore in the initial stages alone," he says.

To tackle the tangle over infrastructure and other issues, a meeting is expected to be convened here under the chairmanship of the deputy commissioner and the state textiles commissioner by the month-end, when final decision to move fast for executing the proposal is expected.