Tamil Nadu   

Call to revive coir training centre

G. Srinivasan

THANJAVUR: Coconut farmers want the Regional Training and Development Centre of the Coir Board at Pillaiyarpatti, near here, to revive its full-fledged activities, including training people in making coir products.

The centre, established in 1986, was training people in making motorised and traditional ratts and weaving coir mat.

Besides its own building and machines for training, the centre also boasts of a hostel for trainees. From 1986 to 2000, the centre was a hub of activity, offering various courses on coir products and training 200 people per year. But for the past six years, it remained closed, but started offering field-level training two months ago.

Enquiries reveal that the Coir board offers training on a request from State Governments. After some time, the States have to take over the centre. In the case of the Pillaiyarpatti centre, the State Government did not come forward to take it over. So, the Board cut its activity, shutting down the centre.

Only two months ago did the Board's regional office at Pollachi declare it an extension centre. "We want the centre to revive its activities and conduct courses as it did from 1986 to 2000," the growers say.

The Board is paying a trainee a stipend of Rs. 500. It also chips in with subsidy for construction of work sheds in rural areas. As most of the artisans making coir products are women, the Board also helps in building toilets near the work sheds.

The district, which has many places — Pattukottai and Peravurani among them — as major coconut growing areas, has vast potential for coir products. Furthermore, rural women can be engaged in making coir products after training. "Thousands of women have benefited from the training given by the centre. It should continue its service," say the farmers.

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