New Delhi, Feb 7 (KNN) In a bold move against the continuous import of under-billed Chinese cloth, textile traders and manufacturers are set to take their protest to Delhi today.

Frustrated by the lack of action despite numerous appeals to the Centre, these industrialists have decided to escalate their demonstration by symbolically handing over the keys of their units to the Central Government.

Under the banner of the 'Swadeshi Vyopar Association,' representatives from the textile industry convened today, expressing their unity on the issue.

They highlighted the dire consequences faced by the sector, with many units already forced to shut down due to unfair competition from cheap imports.

Blaming collusion between certain officers and unethical practices within the profession, these industrialists are determined to hold authorities accountable for the industry's plight.

The textile industry's grievances extend to the government's apparent inability to address the issue effectively.

Despite significant revenue losses amounting to crores in taxes, the practice of under-billing Chinese imports persists unchecked.

Tarun Jain Bawa, Chairman of the Bahadur Ke Textile and Knitwear Association and Federation of Textile and Manufacturing Association of Ludhiana, shed light on the specifics of the issue, reported tribune.

He revealed that filament polyester cloth, subject to a 25 percent import duty, was flooding the market from China.

Shockingly, these imports were being falsely categorised as cotton fabric, attracting a mere 5 percent duty and evading 20 percent in taxes.

Bawa raised serious concerns about the involvement of customs officials in facilitating such fraudulent practices.

Another manufacturer from Ludhiana echoed these sentiments, citing instances where polyester cloth was priced at Rs 320 per kg but falsely documented as cotton fabric at Rs 80 per kg.

Such blatant discrepancies, coupled with the sheer volume of under-billed imports, paint a grim picture for the domestic textile industry.

With approximately 500 containers of misrepresented cloth entering India on average, the industry faces an existential threat.

As authorities continue to turn a blind eye, textile traders and manufacturers are left with no choice but to escalate their protest, hoping to compel the government into action before irreparable damage is done.

(KNN Bureau)