Slow production due to lack of raw materials: Minister

Puducherry, May 2 (UNI) Denying that slow production in the government-owned Anglo-French Textile (AFT) mill was deliberate after the visit of the legislative committee headed by Industries Minister on March 19 this year, Minister for Industries V Vaithilingam today said it was due to non-availability of raw materials and there was no intention to cause a set back to the activities of the mill.

Replying to a calling attention motion on the issue in the House, Mr Vaithilingam said the government and the management were taking steps to run the mill continously without shortage of any raw materials.

Presenting statistics on the functioning of the Swadeshi and Sri Bharathi textile mill which was taken over by the government from the NTC, he said the mills were working as sual and there was no set back in production level either before or after the visit of the parliamentary consultative committee.

He said the mill, which was exporting fabrics to several foreign countries, had an installed capacity of 27,568 spindles and 1,050 looms. With the present work strength and prevailing absenteeism level, if all the looms were loaded with beams, the expected production per day was around 50,000 metres.

Due to the lack of yarn and financial crunch to purchase raw materials, some looms were without beams and the weaving production ranging from 40,000 to 45,000 metres per day was maintained, he added.

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