The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Jet looms spell doom for weavers

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Monday, Sep 29, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Jet looms spell doom for weavers

K.M.Dayashankar

SIRCILLA (KARIMNAGAR DT.): Sircilla, known as ‘Solapur of Andhra Pradesh’ with the highest number of powerlooms and weavers in the region, is once in the news because of the present crisis in the powerloom sector and the spate of suicides by weavers due to unemployment and increasing debts.

This textile town has attained a dubious distinction in the State with over 340 suicides by weavers since 2000. This year till date about 70 weavers had committed suicide due to unemployment and increasing debts, according to trade union leaders.

Crisis started in the powerloom sector with the invasion of jet and auto looms in the neighbouring Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu States, which produce value added fabric to meet the market requirements in the changing global scenario. Whereas, the fabric produced by the powerloom weavers of Sircilla is grey cloth, which is suitable only for petty coats.

Yarn costs

Added to the existing woes following the invasion of jet looms, the powerloom industry further plunged into crisis with the escalation of yarn costs and no market for the fabric produced on the powerlooms of Sircilla. Members of the Powerloom Cloth Producers’ Association stopped the production of cloth as huge stocks had been piled up. Subsequently, it led to the closure of powerlooms denying employment to local weavers. There are about 30,000 powerlooms providing employment to about 15,000 weavers in the region. During the season, the looms produce anywhere from 16 lakh to 20 lakh metres of cloth. A powerloom weaver works on about 8 to 10 looms at a time for about 10 to 12 hours to earn a daily wage of Rs. 100 at the rate of Rs. 0.65 paise per metre produced.

Presently, the micro-finance companies have become a cause of concern for the powerloom weavers. The weavers were resorting to suicide as they were unable to clear debts made at the micro finance companies, which were harassing them for repayment of loans, said Pantham Ravi, president of CITU in Sircilla town. Says Samalla Mallesham, president of Powerloom Workers Union and also a powerloom weaver, that the government should open a textile corporation in Sircilla town at a cost of Rs. 500 crore.

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