Tamil Maanila Congress claims Centre declined approval for proposed Salem textile park

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. Tamil Maanila Congress west district president K.V. Suseendra Kumar addressing the media on the Collectorate premises in Salem in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E. Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) west district president K.V. Suseendra Kumar, on Wednesday (July 1, 2026) claimed that the Union Government had declined approval for the proposed textile park at Jagir Ammapalayam in Salem. Addressing reporters on the Collectorate premises, he said the project, announced last year, envisaged a textile park with over 50 dyeing units and other textile-related industries. A private firm, Salem Yarn Colouring Park, had initiated steps to establish 60 dyeing units, he added. The proposal drew opposition from local residents, farmers, and other organisations, who alleged that the dyeing units would affect groundwater and agriculture. Several rounds of protests were held against the project, including a hunger strike organised by the TMC near the Collectorate. Mr. Suseendra Kumar said a petition had subsequently been submitted to Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh. In response, the Minister informed them through a letter that neither the Union Government nor the State Government had granted approval for establishing dyeing units in the proposed textile park at Jagir Ammapalayam, he claimed. Mr. Suseendra Kumar thanked farmers and various organisations for opposing the project. He warned that any attempt to revive the project or implement a similar proposal would be strongly opposed, alleging that it would threaten water resources in the region.