Maha govt extends online registration deadline for textile units by 3 months

Kolhapur: State govt has extended by three months the deadline for textile operators to register their establishments on the online portal launched by the state textile commissionerate.The original six-month deadline for registration, mandatory for availing govt's power subsidy, ended on April 27. On April 15, TOI had reported that response from textile operators had been lukewarm, resulting in poor registrations. Of the about 55,000 textile units in Maharashtra, the largest textile hub in India, only about 9,500 units had registered, most of them from the cooperative sector.Industry representatives across the state had urged govt to simplify the online registration process. The revised form was made available on April 7, leaving operators with barely 20 days before the initial deadline expired. "Since many textile operators could not complete registration by April 26, govt has decided to extend the deadline by another three months. Registration through the portal is mandatory. Failure to do so will result in automatic withdrawal of the power subsidy," a govt resolution issued on Wednesday stated.The textile sector receives substantial support from the state, with nearly 40% of its electricity consumption subsidised. Annually, around Rs 1,800 crore in power bills is waived. The online registration system was introduced to curb subsidy leakages and ensure benefits reach genuine beneficiaries. However, response from textile operators has remained largely apathetic.