Chennai, Aug 22 (KNN) With an aim to re-open the Ramanathapuram District Cooperative Spinning Mills Limited in Tamil Nadu, the state department of handlooms and textiles has asked firms to supply textile machineries for modernisation of mills.

The mills are situated at Achankulam, Kamudhi Taluk and Ramnad districts of the state.

The textile industry of Tamil Nadu is predominantly spinning-oriented. Out of 2,049 textile mills in India, 893 of them are located in the state.  Similarly, out of 996 small units in the country, 792 of them are located in the state, according to the state department of the handlooms and textiles.   

The 893 medium and small textile mills include 18 cooperative spinning, 17 national textile corporation and 23 composite mills.  With a labour force of about 2.17 lakhs, the spinning capacity is 14.75 million spindles.

Meanwhile, the powerloom sector in Tamil Nadu has also been playing an important role in meeting the clothing needs of people. This sector in Tamil Nadu is next only to Maharashtra, in terms of the number of powerlooms established per year.
  
There are 4.27 lakh handlooms in Tamil Nadu.  As per the latest census 2.83 lakh handlooms are functioning in 1,354 weavers cooperative societies.  Out of these societies, 1,144 are primary, 120 are industries and the remaining 90 are primary silk weavers cooperative societies.

Further, weavers cooperative societies exist in rural and semi-urban areas where there is a large concentration of handloom weavers.  All development and welfare schemes are implemented by the government through these cooperative societies.  (KNN/GUNJ)