Kitex Garments alleges harassment by Kerala govt, withdraws from Rs 3,500 crore project

A major industrial group in Kerala on Tuesday announced withdrawal from a Rs 3,500 crore investment project, alleging harassment by state government officials. Giving out details, Kitex Garments Ltd said that it has decided to withdraw from the project signed during the "Ascend Global Investors Meet" organised by the Kerala government in Kochi in January 2020. 

Kitex Garments alleges harassment by Kerala govt

In a statement, Chairman of Kitex Group Sabu Jacob said that it was very difficult for him to run the existing industrial units in the state. He said that various Kitex suits were raided 10 times by officials from various departments during the past month. The officials never revealed the reasons for conducting such searches and what violations were committed by the company, Jacob added. 

In a statement, Kitex Garments Chairman Sabu Jacob said, "It very difficult for him to run the existing industrial units in the state. Officials, comprising of 40-50 in numbers used to enter the factory units, carry our searches, prevented workers including women employees from doing their jobs, grilled them and also harassed them on various occasions."

Noting that the Kitex factory has been functioning here for the past 26 years and it has over 10,000 employees, Jacob alleged that the officials arrived with a huge team violating COVID-19 protocol. The officials are also accompanied by camera teams of online media, he claimed. While talking to reporters, Kitex Garments Chairman said if such a witchhunt continues, the company will take a decision on whether to close it down or shift its units to other states.

There was no immediate reaction from the state government to Jacob's allegations. However, Jacob has been at loggerheads with the state's ruling CPI(M) and opposition Congress after a party floated by him entered the electoral political arena and fielded candidates in eight seats in Ernakulam district for the Assembly polls held in April this year.

"Twenty20", the industrial charity outfit-turned-political party, had scripted an impressive victory in the civic polls held in December last year in parts of Ernakulam district. Earlier in 2015, "Twenty20" contested the local body polls in the Kizhakkambalam panchayat near here and created history by winning 17 of the 19-gram panchayat seats.

In the 2020 Civic elections, "Twenty20" not only retained Kizhakkambalam panchayat by an impressive margin but also captured power in neighbouring panchayats of Aikkaranad, Kunnathunadu, and Mazhuvannur. Besides, it had also emerged as a major force in Vengola gram panchayat, winning several awards. "Twenty20", a brainchild of Jacob, had started as the development initiative of the Rs 12 billion Anna-Kitex Group founded by his father M C Jacob in 1968. 

(Image: PTI)