Two windmills to be commissioned in Andipatti union, Tamil Nadu

Two wind mills will be commissioned in Andipatti union to meet the power requirements of Anna Cooperative Spinning Mill at Andipatti, said Minister for Handlooms and Textiles S. Sundararajan.

Talking to press persons after an informal meeting with mill officials on the mill campus near here on Tuesday, he said that the mill will be fully modernised. The government had already sanctioned Rs.29 crore for modernising the mill. Cost of commissioning of each wind mill will be around Rs.4 crore. This step was part of the modernisation programme.

At present, the mill has been manufacturing and supplying quality yarn. Installation of sophisticated machineries and development of other infrastructure facilities will not only enhance its production capacity but also improve its quality. After modernisation, the mill will need more power. Wind mills will supply additional power and scale down production costs.

Earlier, the Anna Mill had handed over its 12 acres of land to the government for construction of Theni Government Medical College and Hospital. Now, the collector assured to offer two acres of land near that area, a highly potential one for generating wind power, for commissioning the wind mills. At present, 425 employees - 275 permanent and 200 temporary workers - have been working in the mill. Expansion will generate more employment opportunities in rural areas, he pointed out.

The government had already allotted sufficient funds for modernising five cooperative mills that were functioning well, in the state. We wanted to increase their capacity to produce high quality yarns in large quantities. To a question on hi-tech weaving park in Andipatti, he said that the state government has been taking massive efforts to use Rs.2 crore allotted by the Central Government for setting up hi-tech park. Inordinate delay in implementing the project increased its estimated cost. If the centre revised its allocation, state was also ready to allot more for this project, he noted.

The government has also been taking massive efforts to revive paralysed or sick weavers cooperative societies for the welfare of handloom weavers. About 1.7 crore free saris and 1.69 crore dhotis will be distributed all beneficiaries before April, the minister assured.