VARANASI, Jan. 12 -- Traders and entrepreneurs of Kashi demanded that both handloom and textile be included in the textile park planned for Kashi. The dialogue on the proposed textile park was held with K Vijayendra Pandian, the commissioner and director of the handloom and textiles department, Uttar Pradesh, in the presence of the district magistrate and commissioner. Pandian, in the presence of divisional commissioner S Rajalingam, interacted with all the stakeholders and provided answers to their questions and suggestions. Representatives from various organisations presented their views. RK Chaudhary, a representative of the Indian Industries Association (IIA), emphasised the need for a Small Industries Authority. He stated that the state currently has approximately 97 lakh micro, small, and medium enterprises, 87 percent of which are micro-units. Rajesh Bhatia, a representative of the Small Industries Association, suggested the establishment of a corrugated box factory in the Silk Park to enhance product packaging. Devendra Mohan Pathak, a representative of the Banarasi Textile Industry Association, expressed gratitude for the establishment of the textile park in Varanasi. Bharat Shah, a representative of SND, requested that land be made available soon so the industry can commence operations quickly. Amitabh, a representative of the Purvanchal Industry Export Association, suggested prioritising micro and small industries based on his 25 years of export experience, and demanded the equal inclusion of both handloom and textiles. Divisional commissioner Rajalingam said that approximately two years ago, Union cabinet minister Piyush Goyal had suggested the establishment of a textile park in Varanasi and assured full cooperation. He emphasised the need to promote the 'Banarasi' brand. The Banarasi Textile Industry Association presented a PowerPoint presentation outlining various demands and questions, including the park's commencement timeline, the size of land allocation, shed height, permission for multi-story buildings, payment procedures, employment targets, permission for high-speed machinery, GST arrangements, and CNG availability, among others. The district magistrate of Varanasi, Satyendra Kumar, said that some of the land acquired by the development authority would be converted and made available for industrial purposes. Research and development work would be carried out in collaboration with NIFT and the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology....