Jockey Group drops its Anantapur venture

Anantapur: Jockey Industrial group which was supposed to open its shop in the district, has backed off despite signing an agreement with the government during the TDP rule. This was confirmed by APIIC (AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation) zonal manager Padmavathi.

Taking to 'The Hans India' on Friday, Padmavathi revealed that the Jockey International group had approached the government seeking cancellation of the MoU it had signed with the APIIC. Already, 60 acre land was allotted to the apparel group. It was supposed to set up the shop way back in 2019 itself. It decided to abandon its project reportedly due to disillusionment caused by the demands and pressures for underhand payments by political leaders.

The innerwear garments factory was supposed to provide jobs to 6,000 rural youth and womenfolk. Raptadu constituency was selected for the setting up of the factory. The change in the government reportedly led to the international group to drop its project in the district fearing political pressures from the ruling dispensation. According to APIIC sources, the government is yet to take a decision on the issue. It remains to be seen whether the government will persuade the group to stay or allow it to leave the district. Industries minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy is yet to take a call on the matter.

Local people are urging the government to persuade the group to remain in the district and execute the project in the larger interest of industrialisation of the region.

Observers in the industry feel that the recent legislation making it mandatory for new industries to earmark 75 per cent of jobs to locals is also becoming a hurdle for the new industries to come and open shops here.

When the district will be divided into two next year, Anantapur will get a raw deal as the region will be devoid of industrial presence worth mentioning.