Vigilance squad to check ‘eligibility’ of textile projects in State

By Kartik Lokhande :

If any project fails to furnish the relevant document for scrutiny, all the Government aid to that project will be stopped till final disposal of the matter

State Government has constituted vigilance and monitoring squad to inspect textile units. The squad has been constituted as it came to the Government’s notice that some textile projects applied for aid despite being ineligible for the same. Under the Textile Policies 2011-17 and 2018-23, eligible textile projects get aid from the Government. The aid is in the form of interest aid, capital aid, electricity aid, etc. To get the benefit of the said initiative, textile projects have to submit online applications to the Government. The banks financing these projects also have to furnish requisite details online.

However, State Government Resolution issued on December 4, the Government had noticed that some projects had applied for aid despite being ineligible for the same. Besides, they were found to have furnished ‘false information’ to the bank and Government. Against this backdrop, the Government has now decided to conduct inspection of textile projects across Maharashtra to ‘ascertain eligibility’ for the aid scheme. Textile, Marketing and Textile Department has accordingly constituted a vigilance and monitoring squad.

The squad comprises four officials namely Joint/Deputy Secretary, Deputy Secretary/ Desk Officer, Assistant Section Officer, and Clerk. If required, the department will make available services of technical staff at Regional Deputy Commissioner (Textile) offices to the squad. It has been tasked with conducting inspection of at least 30 projects every month. The squad has been directed to conduct scrutiny of approval certificate of textile projects, information in the certificate and online proposal for aid, whether the project concerned meets the terms and conditions of the scheme, etc.

Only after scrutiny finds a project eligible for aid, the ‘no objection certificate’ of eligibility will be issued to the project. If any project fails to furnish the relevant document for scrutiny, all the Government aid to that project will be stopped till final disposal of the matter. In case the projects that have availed of aid but are found ineligible at the end of scrutiny by the vigilance squad, approval to such projects will be cancelled and aid given to them so far will be recovered with interest. If the squad finds that information furnished by a project is ‘false’ or ‘wrong’, aid to that project will be stopped immediately and the aid given previously will be recovered with interest.