Kerala Row: Telangana Sends Special Flight To Bring Officials Of Disgruntled Textile Company Kitex

Within a few days of receiving a formal invitation from the Tamil Nadu government to invest in the State, Kitex Garments has accepted another invitation from the Telangana government.

While the Tamil Nadu government has arranged a meeting with the minister and assured of providing many incentives to the company, the Telangana government has gone a step further and sent a special flight to Kerala to bring the company leadership to Hyderabad for wooing Rs 3,500- crore project to the State.

KITEX Managing Director Sabu Jacob and a five-member team would go to Hyderabad on Friday (9 July) by a special flight sent by the Telangana government, reports The Indian Express.

"We have already had one round of discussions with Telangana Industry Minister K T Rama Rao. They have offered excellent facilities and support for the Rs 3,500-crore project, which we have abandoned in Kerala. Telangana has invited us following our announcement to cancel the apparel project in Kerala," KITEX Managing Director Sabu Jacob said.

"We have no plan to make further investment in Kerala. It is already difficult for us to run the existing garment unit in Ernakulam. Then, how can we plan new investments? We have already spent Rs 200 crore for the proposed project, which would have given employment to 30,000 people, apart from developing 600 small-scale ventures in the sector," he responded to comments by ruling CPM and opposition Congress which called him a traitor.

Recently, Kitex Garments, the world's second-largest manufacturer of kids apparel, announced that it would be scrapping plans to open an apparel park in Kochi and other areas due to constant harassment by officials of the CPM-led government.

"Almost every day, officials of the government department descend on the premises of the company and make inquiries as if we committed a big fraud. I am fed up with continuous harassment. The government treats us like bourgeoises, exploitative capitalists and land encroachers. Enough is enough," Kitex chairman Sabu M Jacob said.

"If the situation continues like this, the State will turn into a graveyard of industries. While neighbouring states roll out red carpets for industries, we are hounding them out. No doubt, the existing climate will drive entrepreneurs to suicide," he said, adding that the latest to inspect his premises were officials from the pollution control board.

"Whoever invests in Kerala will lose peace of mind and will be driven to suicide," Sabu Jacob added.