Kitex row now turns Telangana vs Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Hyderabad: The row related to Kitex's proposed investment of Rs 3500 crore moving out of Kerala alleging harassment from the officials now got another dimension with the newly appointed the Union Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar's inviting Kitex group to Karnataka after a reported deal between the group and Telangana government.

The Telangana government announced on July 9 an investment of Rs 1000 crore by Kitex in Warangal after the meeting between the group Chairman and Managing Director Sabu M Jacob and Telangana Industries Minister KT Rama Rao. According to reports, the deal between Teleganan and the Kitex group will invest Rs 1000 crore in the first phase to establish a textile manufacturing unit in the state in the next two years.

Despite the report of the proposed deal, the Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology tweeted about the talk he had with Kitex's Sabu Jacob offering wholehearted support for him to invest in Karnataka. Chandrashekar also referred his offer in a tweet to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda and BJP National General Secretary (organisation) from Karnataka BL Santhosh.

Responding to Chandrashekar's offer to Kitex, TRS leader Krishank said that the Union Minister who is supposed to work for all states is seen brokering for Karnataka which is against the spirit of federalism. Interfering to grab an investment opportunity of a state in favour of another state does not do justice with the position of a Union Minister, Krishank commented.

Soon after the Kitex chief Sabu Jacob had announced the suspension of his Rs 3500 crore investment plan in Kerala after both the parties got locked in bitter controversies over a number of issues, the neighbouring states, including Tamil Nadu and Telangana, extended their offers to Kitex.

The Telangana government had sent a chartered flight to bring the Kitex delegation to Hyderabad. The team was carried to the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park, the proposed site for the textile apparel unit in Warangal, on a chopper.

After the meeting and discussion, the Telangana government announced that the Kitex agreed to invest Rs 1,000 crore in the first phase of investment with a span of two years that could generate 4,000 jobs in the state.