Updated on: Friday, August 21, 2009
Bhubaneswar: The capital city of Orissa would soon get a National Institute of Faishon Technology (NIFT) and a Knitwear Park under Scheme for Integrated Textile Park (SITP), official sources said.
The NIFT would start functioning at Bhubaneswar in a temporary campus in next three months, Chief minister Naveen Patnaik said after holding discussion with Union Textile minister Dayanidhi Maran in New Delhi today.
Stating that the temporary campus would offer certificate courses, Patnaik said the regular courses would begin from the next academic year.
The state government had offered to provide necessary infrastructure including land, he said, adding that the proposed NIFT could help develop the handicraft sector in the state.
On the proposed Knitwear park Patnaik submitted a proposal with Maran for consideration. 'The state government has already allocated 35 acre of land for the purpose,' he said. During discussion with Maran, the state government requested establishment of an office of Export Promotion Council for Handicraft (EPCH) here an office of deputy director (handicraft). While expressing concern over lack of marketing and inability to pay debt by a large number of Primary Weavers' Cooperative Societies (PWCS) in Orissa, the state government officials said PWCS were unable to avail further loan.