Beedi industry, which provides employment to several lakhs of womenfolk in entire Telangana in general and Rajanna-Sircilla district in particular is slowly entering into a crisis following the demonetization of high currency notes.
The rolling of beedis is an alternate source of employment to the womenfolk in the Sircilla textile town and it provides additional household income. But, since the announcement of demonetization, the womenfolk were unable to get their wages following the banning of high denominations.
The beedi workers are being offered devalued Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes for their wages, which the beedi rolling women are refusing to accept as they cannot exchange it in the market. Since the demonetisation announcement on November 8, the beedi workers have not received their wages.
Sumalatha, a beedi worker in Baddam Yellareddynagar of Sircilla textile town says that she was borrowing for the buying household provisions and payment of school fees due to non-availability of wages for rolling beedis since last two weeks. “The beedi companies are paying old currency notes as wages, but we are not not ready to accept them as we cannot exchange them and we don’t even have bank accounts,” she said.
CITU leader Pantham Ravi said that the demonetization is likely to create unrest among the labour force in this textile town. Neither the beedi workers nor the powerloom workers were getting the wages following the demonetization, he said and feared that the distressed powerloom weavers might resort to suicide.
