Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday laid the foundation stone for the Rs3,000 crore Welspun Group’s Integrated Textiles Manufacturing Facility and Warehousing Complex at Choudwar in Cuttack district.
The proposed complex is expected to create employment for over 10,000 people in and around Choudwar region.
Speaking on the occasion, Patnaik said once the complex comes up, Choudwar will get back its glory of being the textile hub of Odisha.
“Choudwar was developed as an industrial hub by former chief minister Biju Patnaik in the 1950s. Today, once again, a new history has been created in Choudwar,” Patnaik said.
The CM also informed that cotton farmers in the districts of Kalahandi, Bolangir, Rayagada and Gajapati will benefit from the complex, which will also provide employment opportunities for women. “Women will be provided skill training,” he said.
The state industrial department and Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha (IPICOL) had given a proposal for setting up a textile facility in Odisha to Welspun Group chairman BK Goenka during the Make In Odisha programme in 2022, he said.
Goenka, said, “We are grateful for the support and commitment shown by the CM and the government of Odisha. Their dedication to fostering an environment conducive to industrial growth and development has been instrumental in bringing our project to fruition. Through the Integrated Textiles Manufacturing Facility and Warehousing Complex, we want to create a world-class textiles ecosystem in Odisha and take forward the legacy of Biju Babu.”
He said the Welspun Group is also committed to improve the quality of life in Choudwar by developing several amenities for the public.
The Orissa Textiles Mill (OTM) at Choudwar, once eastern India’s largest composite cotton mill, was co-founded by Biju Patnaik. The investment by Welspun Group is set to reignite industrial growth and development in the region as well as directly support the growth of cotton growers across the state, an official said.
PTI