Minister asks Gujarat businessmen to play Modi card

AHMEDABAD: Union minister of state for textile Santosh Kumar Gangwar wants Gujarati entrepreneurs to use their ‘influence’ over PM Narendra Modi to get their pending issues resolved. He used this strategy twice — in Ahmedabad and in Surat — to divert issues that came his way during his visit to the state.
On Saturday, Gangwar asked the textile manufacturers to use their 'influence' over Modi to get the issues pertaining to the Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF) scheme resolved.
The non-payment of subsidy under the scheme has affected over 3,000 textile units as more than Rs 3,000 crore subsidy is yet to be released to textile units across India. In some cases, subsidies have not been released for over two years. Gangwar met various stakeholders from the textile sector at GCCI and Maskati Kapad Market Mahajan in New Cloth Market. Saying that he has already talked to Modi and finance minister Arun Jaitley on the issue, Gangwar suggested, "Please write about your problems to the Prime Minister and use your influence over him. I have told him about the issue, he heard me but did not give any answers."