P Rajeev, Minister of Industries, has stated that he will investigate Kitex’s charges.
Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeev urged Kitex Group Chairman Sabu Jacob on Saturday to reconsider his decision to withdraw from a Rs 3,500 crore investment plan signed with the state government.
The minister has also assured Jacob that the allegations he made about the harassment his company faced at the hands of the State government will be taken seriously.
“We will not tolerate any activities that jeopardise the State’s development. Despite the fact that we have not received an official complaint from Kitex, we will take their concerns seriously,” the minister stated.
“The state’s industrial sector is on the mend. “We will provide full government support to genuine investors,” the minister added.
Officials from the Ernakulam District Industries Department arrived at the Kitex Garments office in Kizhakkambalam earlier today, as directed by the State government, for formal talks. Officials from the Industries Department are visiting the Group for the first time.
Jacob explained that the officials had come to learn more about the complaints he had filed and to prepare a report on what had occurred at Kitex.
Kitex Group signed a Rs 3,500 crore investment plan in January 2020 at the Ascend Investors’ Forum to build an apparel park and an industrial park in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Palakkad. It is expected to provide 600 entrepreneurs with opportunities.
Jacob announced his decision to withdraw from this project, citing the numerous raids conducted by various State departments at Kitex’s various units.
Jacob claimed that ten raids were carried out just last month. He claimed that officials numbering 40-50 entered the factory units and conducted searches, preventing workers, including female employees, from performing their duties. He also claimed that these officials harassed his employees without providing a legitimate reason for the search.
Jacob claimed it was a political vendetta because Kitex Group is the driving force behind Twenty20, a charity organisation that made headlines in 2015 when it won 17 of the 19 seats in Kizhakkambalam in Kerala local body elections.
Later, in the 2020 Kerala local body elections, it grew even more, winning nine seats in Aikkaranadu panchayat, five seats in Kunnathunad, and five seats in Mazhuvannur.
Despite fielding eight candidates in the 2021 Kerala Assembly election, it received no votes. However, the fact that it received 14% of the vote against three national political parties drew widespread acclaim, infuriating its opponents even more.
According to Jacob, as many as ten states have reached out to him since his public announcement. Tamil Nadu has even made him a formal offer to relocate his investment. Kitex Group has yet to make a formal decision.
