CHENNAI: Handloom goods, including silk material worth Rs. 259.11 crore, have piled up in various cooperative societies in the State, including Co-optex.

While goods worth Rs. 200.5 crore have accumulated in major cooperative societies over the last few years, the rest are lying with Cooptex. Silk material worth Rs. 147.63 crore constitutes a bulk of the unsold goods. Most of the stock is less than a year old.

The main reasons, says a Cooperative department official here, are changing market and fashion trends and an increase in price of raw materials. Saddled with heavy inventory, societies are unable to give continuous work to handloom silk weavers.

After the DMK Government took over, steps are being taken to reduce the stock.

The State has received Central nod for giving an additional 10 per cent discount for 128 days in a year, without ceiling, for the next three years, along with the normal 20 per cent discount.

There are plans to organise exhibitions in all district headquarters during the festival season, offering 35-45 per cent discount for stocks more than a year old.

Special expos

Special expos will be organised in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala and in Chandigarh, Kolkata and Kharagpur. Cooptex will organise exhibitions in 100 places where it does not have showrooms.

Through these measures, the government hopes to clear silk stock worth Rs. 75 crore before the end of the financial year.

But weavers feel sustained efforts are not being made to improve the sale of goods manufactured by societies. Three years ago, the government launched Loom World, an apex body for the societies.

The plan was to open showrooms in cities and major towns. While some showrooms were opened, no steps were taken to increase their number.

A web site to sell silk varieties through Internet was set up. Though there was a good response, it was not updated.

The weavers want periodic training to keep pace with the changing market trends. Goods produced by them are found to be out of fashion.

Unless the government works out an aggressive marketing strategy, it will be difficult to survive in the highly competitive market, the official says.

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