park. As per the draft textile policy prepared by the concerned department, the proposed park would have an integrated production system encompassing spinning, reeling and garmenting, according to official sources.

The draft policy, yet to be cleared by the Cabinet, laid down that space should be provided to weavers and entrepreneurs in the park at a concession while the government would provide a fixed term tax holiday and investment subsidy for entrepreneurs to attract investment from outside the state for the handloom sector.It also recommended the merger of marketing organisations of handloom products through different outlets known as boyanika, amlan, sambalpuri bastralaya, utkalika and odissi to bring them under one umbrella and stop unnecessary competition among themselves, the sources said.

Concession in ST and other duties through active interaction with the Centre was also proposed to boost export while the draft policy suggested extension of subsidy for computerisation and modernisation of designs.There was also a proposal for constituting a technology mission for the management of textile, handloom sericulture sectors.

Meanwhile, a sub-zonal office of the textile committee, Mumbai, under the Central government had been opened at Bhubaneswar in February last to help the entrepreneurs with technological inputs as well as financial support from the technology upgradation fund constituted by the Centre, the sources said.

The policy also underlined the need to make it compulsory for different government departments, government controlled organisations and state-owned undertakings to purchase handloom products from the authorised sales agencies like the apex society.