The Hindu Business Line : Expanded Malabar Spinning Mills set to go operational

The facelift, done at a cost of Rs 12.19 crore, has seen addition of nine spinning machines supplied by Kirloskar Toyota, blow room and allied preparatory machines.

Each spinning machine is equipped with 1,152 spindles for a total of 10,368 spindles. An automatic humidification plant will ensure optimum operations of the machines.

The mill, which was established in 1890, was the first textile mill in the State. It was taken over by Kerala State Textile Corporation (KSTC) in 1978 and subsequently by the State Government in 1983.

However, the company went through a difficult phase in the following years and was finally closed down in 2003. It got a new lease of life in 2006 when the Government reconditioned 6,000 existing spindles and put the mill back in the operational mode.

The mill had over 500 employees when it was closed down in 2003 and 220 of them later went on voluntary retirement. The expansion will provide employment to around 50 people, according to officials in the Industries Department.

The Government is planning another phase of expansion and modernisation with the objective of taking the spindle capacity of the mill to 25,000. When materialised, more people will find employment in the mill, the officials said.

The recast of Malabar Spinning Mills is part of the Government’s efforts to revive some of the ailing public sector units in the State, of which the Trivandrum Spinning Mills resumed operations last month. Another unit, Kerala Soaps Ltd, will begin marketing its products in January next year.

More Stories on : Modernisation | Textiles | Kerala

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page