Hetauda Textile Industry to Resume Production

Kathmandu. The Hetauda Textile Industry, which has been closed for a long time, has finally started the necessary work for trial production with the government's objective of operating it in the long term.

A study task force has submitted a report with a clear work direction to immediately conduct trial production and operate at full capacity in the long term to the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Gauri Kumari Yadav.

Although the task force, chaired by Ramabandhu Subedi, head of the Administration and Institute Division of the Ministry of Industry, formally submitted the study report today, the Nepali Army has already started repairing the machinery in the textile industry with the budget allocated by the Ministry of Finance for the trial operation of the textile industry.

The report presents a detailed outline of the steps taken to restart the industry, progress to date, and future course of action. The main features of the report are as follows:

• Trial within two months: The government has given the Nepali Army a deadline of two months to start trial production from the industry as per the government's directive. The report states that work is progressing rapidly keeping in mind the same deadline.
• Budget Release: Following the proposal of the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Finance released a budget of Rs. 3.3 million to the account of the Directorate of Military Equipment Production of the Nepali Army in the first week of Ashad, which has facilitated the initial work.
• Deployment of Army Technical Team and Procurement of Raw Materials: Upon receiving the responsibility of operating the factory, the technical team of the Nepali Army has intensified cleaning work at the industry site. The team has also procured the raw materials necessary for trial production, and the technical team of the Army's Production Directorate has started repairing the machinery.
• Physical Infrastructure Repair: An estimated cost of Rs. 5 million has been submitted by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure for the repair of the industry's physical structures and infrastructure. Based on that estimate, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure has taken the responsibility of repairing the structures.
• Electricity Repair Work: The work of repairing the electricity system within the industry is currently being carried out by the Hetauda Industrial Area Management Office, and the electricity repair work has also been completed so far.
• Long-term Plan and DPR: For the immediate purpose of trial production, old machines will be repaired and operated. Based on the results and basis of trial production, a detailed project report will be prepared for the long-term operation of the industry. The report indicates that the government will proceed with the necessary legal and other policy decisions accordingly.

Receiving the report, Honorable Minister Gauri Kumari Yadav expressed commitment that the government has given high priority to the task of restarting the Hetauda Textile Industry, which is linked to national pride, and the ministry will provide necessary coordination and support to start production within the stipulated time as per the task force's suggestions.