The state’s spinning mills have declared they are lifting their “production halt” and will start operations on Saturday. They made the announcement during a meeting with the state’s power minister Thangam Thennarasu on Friday in Chennai.
“Thangam Thennarasu paid attention to the problems affecting the textile industry. He promised us that after speaking with chief minister M. K. Stalin, a wise choice would be made, according to G. Arulmozhi, head of the Open-End Spinning Mills Association (OSMA). On the basis of his promise, the mills have decided to start up again, he continued.
The state’s open-end spinning mills, the majority of which are in and around Coimbatore, have been shut down since July 10; starting on July 15, the micro, small, and medium sector mills did the same. They stopped production, claiming that it had become unprofitable as a result of the sharp increase in cotton prices. They urged the removal of the 11% import tax on cotton in order to reduce the price increase and sought a temporary export ban on waste cotton in order to stabilise the nation’s stockpiles. They also mentioned the additional strain the mills had to bear as a result of the rise in electricity prices.
