Amravati: Maharashtra government plans to develop Amravati, infamous for farmer suicides, as a textiles city to promote this industry in cotton-growing areas of the Vidarbha region, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.

“The state government is promoting textile industries in suicide-prone region of Vidarbha to give a value addition and alternate market linkage to the cotton growers of the region on the lines of sugarcane belt of Western Maharashtra to prevent farmers’ suicide in the cotton-growing region of western part of Vidarbha.”

He added that cane growers don’t commit suicides. The Nandgaon industrial estate would be developed as “textile park” and Amravati would soon be recognised as the textiles city, he said after laying the foundation stone for a Raymond’s manufacturing facility near here. Raymond Ltd will extend all possible help to the state government in setting up the Apparel Park here with a full-fledged fashion designing facility, Fadnavis said. Chairman and Managing Director of Raymond Ltd Gautam Hari Singhania said his company will invest Rs 1,400 crore and the unit will provide job opportunities to about 8,000 persons. “The Yavatmal Denim plant was set up with an investment of Rs 750 crore and 2,500 persons are working there. Raymond started from Thane and is proud to be part of development of Maharashtra,” he added. The Nandgoan MIDC is spread across 200 hectares in Amravati on the busy National Highway 7. Appreciating the assurance by Raymond that the unit will start production by March 31 next year, Fadnavis said, Raymond has a unit in Yavatmal and the cotton growers will be greatly benefited by the second unit in Amravati. He also lauded Raymond’s visionary approach in setting up a housing complex with an international standard school and described it as “holistic approach”. Maharashtra Industries Minister Subhash Desai also lauded the speedy process of Raymond in setting up the unit in Amravati and assured all possible help from his department. — PTI