Handloom weavers waiting for loans waiver

08 Aug '09

2 min read

The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh had promised the handloom weavers to waive off their loans on par with farmers, when assuming charge, as the Chief Minister for the second term.

Details of the outstanding loans taken by the weavers have been sent by the officials of Department of Handloom & Textiles to the government for action, but as of date no action has been taken by the CM.

In the recent budget, the government had increased the share of amount allocated for the Handloom & Textile Department and decided to waive off loans that weavers had taken from various banks in the district.

In Vizianagaram district, many weavers from 18 weaver cooperative societies took loans of about Rs. 2.04 crore, but in past three-years the weavers are witnessing a major crisis due to the depressing handloom market.

The weavers are not able to generate profits due to the increase in input costs and institutional charges and the weavers who are forced to use inferior quality thread are finding no demands for their products.

Whatever earnings they are able to generate through selling of their little stock is not even able to meet their expenditure. And no action from government on the promotional activities related to marketing of handlooms is also affecting the weavers.

The congress government had asked the district administration to encourage the employees to wear handlooms at least one day in a week, but this order too has not been followed by the administration.

Along with waiver of loans, the government should take measures for handloom promotion, said a weaver. An exhibition-cum-sale that is organized by the Textiles and Handlooms Department in selected cities only, once or twice in a year, which is not sufficient for handloom promotion, he added.

The government has appointed a committee to deal with the problems faced by the handloom weavers in the state

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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