The Tirupur Exporters Association (T.E.A) today requested the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to include knitwear-related issues in her memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during her scheduled meeting on June 14.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, T.E.A president, A. Shaktivel said that despite the E.S.I covering the workers, and the management and workers regularly contributing to the scheme, the existing E.S.I centres in Tirupur were poorly equipped and with an acute shortage of doctors.

With more than five lakh employees working in Tirupur, the region requires a fully equipped ESI Hospital.

Shaktivel also requested that Tirupur be added to the list of Smart Cities. “Tirupur’s knitwear business contributes Rs.33,000 Crores per annum. The city’s knitwear industry provides employment to 44 percent of its 8.78 lakh population,” he said, and added that there was an urgent requirement of working women hostels and labour quarters.

He also pointed out that there was an undue delay in releasing the promised Central Government grant of Rs.200 crores for setting up effluent plants, as allocated under 13th
Finance Commission, and hoped that it will also be taken up with the prime minister.