Kitex Garments, the world’s second largest manufacturer of kids apparel has decided to withdraw from ₹3,500 crore investment plan Kerala due to constant inspections tantamount to harassment by the Pinarayi Vijayan Communist government.
Kitex Managing Director, Sabu Jacob was quoted saying in Kerala Kaumudi, “We have already acquired 30 acres of land for the apparel park at Kizhakkambalam in Kochi. The project report has also been completed and the project would have provided jobs for 20,000 people. The three industrial parks were envisaged to promote start-ups providing all infrastructural facilities. Each of these parks would have created 5,000 job opportunities. The decision to scrap the project has been taken as I am fed up with the continuous harassment at the hands of the authorities. Whoever invests in Kerala will lose peace of mind and will be driven to suicide,”.
On the constant inspections conducted by the state government of Kerala, Jacob said “On Tuesday, it was the turn of the pollution control board. Each team has 40 to 50 officers and searches every nook and corner of the company. They grill employees for hours but do not reveal what violations they have found. The Kitex factory has been functioning here for the past 26 years and we have 11,000 employees. They arrive with a huge team violating Covid protocols and bring camera teams of online media,”.
“While our neighbouring states give a red carpet welcome to investors, the Kerala government treats them as traitors. They are branded as bourgeoisie, exploiters, encroachers, capitalists, and criminals and humiliated in public,” Sabu was quoted saying in the report.
Kitex had signed a memorandum of understanding with the state government at the Global Investment Summit held in Kochi in 2020, wherein a new investment of ₹3,500 crore was to be made in the state. However, all stands cancelled as Kerala loses one of the biggest projects.
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