Textile traders demand relief, to meet Union Min

Surat, Dec 28: Textile traders based in Surat, which is the hub of the textile industry, feel left out from the recently announced Rs 77 crore Central flood relief package for the power loom and weavers sector, and plan to to meet Union Textile Minister Shankarsingh Vaghela on Saturday to demand flood relief to traders here too.

Union textile ministry has recently announced Rs 77 crore flood relief package to the powerlooms and weavers who suffered heavy losses in the August floods in Surat.

But the textile traders in the diamond city think that they are being left out from this package due to the 'trader' tag attached to them, sources said. The textile traders say that they are adding more value to the textiles through dyeing, printing and other kind of creative work so they can not be consider as traders alone.

According to sources around 4,000 textile traders suffered losses to the tune of Rs 500 crores in the last flood.

Traders now plan to meet and submit a memorandum to Union Textile Minister Shankarsingh Vaghela who is slated to visit Surat in connection with flood relief distribution on December 30, sources added.

UNI