Andhra Pradesh - Others   

Weavers' stir hits silk saree trade in Dharmavaram

Staff Reporter

Silk product, raw material shops forced to down shutters

DHARMAVARAM: Strike by silk weavers has badly affected trading in this silk town in the district for the last four days. All silk product and raw material shops have been forced to shut down from February 7 by weavers led by Andhra Pradesh Cheneta Karmika Sangham units affiliated to CPI and CPI (M), demanding remunerative price to the produce.

An estimated Rs. 10 crores turnover was blocked in the last four days.

There has been no sale of silk sarees, as all the silk houses remained closed since February 7. The workers (handloom weavers) who sell their product to master weavers, traders and owners of silk houses, have been demanding remunerative price for their produce due to steep hike in the raw material cost.

Leaders of APCKS explained that the workers were suffering loss ranging from Rs. 300 to 500 per saree as the cost of all raw material inputs like silk yarn, dyes and others has gone up steeply in recent months. The traders have been refusing to hike the prices of sarees to be paid to the workers on the pretext that the parties (wholesale traders of silk goods) have not been hiking the prices.

Four leaders of APCKS J. Chalapathi and P. Nagappa of the organisation affiliated to CPI and P. Ramanjaneyulu and G. Ravi of the sangham affiliated to CPI (M) launched indefinite hunger strike near Muthyalamma temple in Nesepeta here on Tuesday, demanding remunerative price for the weavers' toil.

Representatives of traders and two factions of APCKS have been holding talks to break the deadlock, but there was no fruitful outcome till Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, the agitation in support of weavers has assumed political colour as the CPI and CPI (M) have set up their indefinite hunger strike camps separately.

About 1,000 silk saree shops and 15,000 looms have been kept closed due to the strike.

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