HETAUDA, AUGUST 8
The long-idle Hetauda Textile Industry has started trial production, with its old looms running again after more than two decades of closure.
The industry, which has remained shut since 2057 BS, produced cloth on a trial basis on Friday after old machinery was repaired and brought back into operation, according to a Facebook post by Pradip Pariyar, joint secretary and private secretary to Prime Minister Balendra Shah.
Sharing a video of the loom operating, Pariyar said the factory's looms had started "speaking" again after years of inactivity. He said the trial production was carried out under the leadership of a Nepal Army general after the old machines were repaired.
The development follows the government's decision on July 2 to revive the Hetauda Textile Industry, after years of repeated attempts by successive governments to restart the factory.
Established in 2032 BS with financial and technical assistance from the Chinese government, the industry began commercial production in 2035 BS.
Efforts to revive the factory have been made repeatedly. A committee was formed in 2073 BS to conduct a detailed study on its revival, while a government study in 2075 BS concluded that the industry could be operated with an estimated investment of around Rs 300 million under different operating models.
A feasibility study involving the Nepal Army was also conducted in 2075 BS. More recently, the government had announced in the FY 2081/82 budget that the industry would be brought back into operation under a public-private partnership model.
Industry Minister Gauri Kumari Yadav had said the government would prioritise Hetauda Textile Industry among sick state-owned enterprises and also advance plans involving Butwal Yarn Factory and cotton farming.
The latest trial production marks the first visible step towards reviving the factory after years of plans, studies and budget announcements.