Government sets up 6 panels to monitor performance of textiles sector

The government has constituted six high-level inter-ministerial committees to review and evaluate the performance of the textiles industry, including exports. The committees consist of representatives from the various ministries and departments, including the Planning Commission, textile minister Anand Sharma told the Lok Sabha today.

He said despite the global economic downturn the government has set an export target of $33 billion for the textiles sector next year. The current year's target is $28 billion.

Sharma said the slowdown in the textiles sector has been due to various factors, including the poor global economic situation.

He, however, said the government has been taking steps to meet the problem faced by the global economic downturn, which is a ''serious concern.''

Sharma said there has so far been no complaint of Chinese raw silk being dumped in the country. Chinese silk production has also been lower due to natural calamities there, he added.

He said mechanisms like safeguard duty help the government to check dumping of commodities in Indian markets. However, he said, Chinese silk was helping weavers in India as the production of raw silk has come down in the country.