Bellary: The Bellary district in central Karnataka is famous for its jeans manufacturing industry. The jeans produced here are being exported to the United States, the UK, Gulf, and many other countries.
The jeans industry in Bellary (Bellary Jeans Park) has been urging the government for many years to provide some relief measures to the industry. Despite several promises and assurances by the leaders, nothing is actually progressing. Due to the apathy shown by successive governments, Bellary is falling short of becoming the jeans hub of south India.
Rahul Gandhi had promised to build a jeans apparel park at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore during the Bharat Jodo Yatra held in February last year. But even after eight months since the Congress came to power, no measures have been announced by the state government due to a financial crunch.
Jeans manufactured in Bellary have a good market in other countries as well. The jeans industry is one of the biggest industries, with annual turnover running into billions of rupees. This industry is not getting proper encouragement from the government. Thus, the jeans industry is declining year by year. Realising this, Rahul Gandhi promised to build a jeans apparel park in Bellary at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore in the Bharat Jodo Yatra and give employment to thousands of people. But state chief minister Siddaramaiah did not reserve any grant for jeans park in the first budget. He merely said that a jeans park will be established.
The industrialists wrote a letter to Rahul Gandhi reminding him of his promise in January 2024. Then Rahul Gandhi’ wrote a letter to CM Siddaramaiah asking him to fulfil the poll promise. Then, Siddaramaiah woke up and proposed that a jeans and apparel park would be constructed in Bellary in the previous budget. But the budget did not allocate any amount for this purpose.
Besides, the people of Bellary are saying that there is no chance of constructing a jeans park at a cost of five thousand crore rupees when the government is struggling to arrange funds for the five guarantees. Congress has devised a strategy to win the next Lok Sabha elections with the agenda of constructing an apparel park.
Chikka Madaiah, a jeans industrialist, told Siasat.com that the Congress government should keep up its poll promises honestly to win the hearts of the people of Bellary. “People have been waiting for a boost in to the jeans industry here for decades. If the government provides encouragement, the Bellary would become jeans hub of south India,” he added.
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