Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Mar 21 (IANS): From being the crime capital of north India till the turn of the century, Gorakhpur is now set to develop as a garment industry hub, giving an impetus to the industries in the eastern Uttar Pradesh.

The Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority (GIDA) will be providing four-acre land on which a flatted factory will be built and will make it available for entrepreneurs.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is taking keen personal interest in the project.

Yogi Adityanath has said that the business of readymade garments is such that it employs more people with less capital.

The Chief Minister has said that over 15,000 people have got direct employment in readymade garments' business with a capital of Rs 350 crore in Gorakhpur alone.

"This is possible only through this traditional enterprise through MSMEs," he pointed out and added that the target was to take the number of employment of 15,000 to 50,000 persons.

According to official sources, in the Covid lockdown, 10,000 migrant workers working in the readymade garments sector had returned to Gorakhpur.

"After having included readymade garments in ODOP, it helped migrant artisans to work in Gorakhpur itself. The entrepreneurs are taking interest and administration has also come forward to help them," the government spokesman said.

The Chief Minister has already issued comprehensive guidelines to the authorities to ensure easy availability of loans to MSMEs in the 'aatmanirbhar package'.

"In four years, we have explored the possibilities to give market to the traditional and local products and an action plan is being prepared accordingly," the spokesman said.

The Chief Minister, meanwhile, has asked entrepreneurs to pay attention to quality and training as well as making preparations according to the requirement of the market.

The Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA), an organisation of the Union Ministry of Textiles, is training entrepreneurs here.

Gorakhpur, at present, has a textile market of about Rs 2,500 crore, out of which the readymade garments worth Rs 2,000 are supplied from outside. "In the coming days, the entrepreneurs may grab this external market by producing and market the locally made garments," he said.

Gorakhpur has a total population of about 55 lakh and there are about 25 lakh women who can be encouraged to take up entrepreneurship.

"The readymade garments business can become the basis of self-reliance of women," the Chief Minister said.

This initiative of the Uttar Pradesh government includes building a flatted factory which will not only boost the textile industries but will also generate employment opportunities for the workers who have returned to the state during the lockdown.

Additional Chief Secretary MSME, Navneet Sehgal, said the state government has started a serious exercise to build garment parks and textile parks here.