The knitwear exporters of Tirupur have sought a `special status’ and exemption from power cut as any delay in executing orders would lead to losing out to their competitors in the future.
They said what was at stake was not only the future of the exporting units but the livelihood of nearly 5.5 lakh workers who are employed either directly or indirectly by the exporting community of Tirupur.
In a letter to the Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, the President of Tirupur Exporters’ Association (TEA) A.Sakthivel pointed out that because of the power cut, the exporters were finding it tough to plan production and delivery schedules, let alone ensuring quality. He feared that any delay in meeting delivery commitments would affect the reputation of exporters leading to `losing of future orders’.
Besides, the Tirupur knitwear exporters were facing stiff competition in the global market and any dependence on captive power generation would push up significantly the cost of production, eroding their competitiveness in a fiercely competitive global market.
Sakthivel said the Tirupur units were providing jobs to more than 3.50 lakh people directly and to 2 lakh workers indirectly, and the steep power cut would render them idle.
He urged the Chief Minister to accord `special status to export oriented Tirupur industry immediately’ and ensure uninterrupted power supply with the objective of ensuring the smooth functioning of the export oriented units and protecting the livelihood of a large number of workers who depend on them.