Bhubaneswar: The prospects of reviving the long-closed Odisha Textile Mills (OTM) at Choudwar in Cuttack district appear slim, as the land on which the mill is located remains embroiled in a dispute, Odisha Handlooms and Textiles Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta has said.

The minister indicated, instead of reviving the defunct unit, the state government is exploring the possibility of establishing a new and better-equipped textile mill in Odisha.

The OTM at Choudwar has remained closed for years, despite announcements by the previous government about plans to revive the industrial unit.

Notably, in 2018, the then Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani had said the Centre would extend support to Odisha if the state government took the initiative to reopen the iconic mill.

Established in 1950 by former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, the mill has remained shut since 2001.
Irani, who was in Bhubaneswar to attend the BJP's state executive meeting, had criticised the then Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, alleging his government had not done enough to revive the unit. She said the Centre would extend assistance if the state government took the necessary steps to put the mill back on track.

However, the land dispute and the prolonged closure have complicated the prospects of restoring operations at the existing facility.