Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Khadi cluster inaugurated

resurgence: Governor R.L. Bhatia inaugurating the khadi cluster at Ooruttukala, near Neyyattinkara, on Monday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A khadi cluster aimed to provide employment to 2,000 spinners and weavers was inaugurated at the Khadi Production Centre of Trivandrum Sarvodaya Sangh, at Ooruttukala, near Neyyattinkara in the district, on Monday by the Governor R.L. Bhatia.

The Central Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) provides the fund for the cluster as part of its Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industry (SFURTI) and it is being implemented with the support of Kerala Khadi and Village Industries Board (KKVIB).

The cluster at present has a sales turnover of Rs.4 crore and it provides employment to 1,200 spinners and weavers. About 400 new charkas and 100 new looms will be introduced as part of the scheme apart from activating 250 idle charkas and 50 looms to strengthen the infrastructure of the cluster. The cluster programme will be implemented with an investment of Rs.138.48 lakh during the next three years, and the sales there is expected to go up to Rs.8 crores by the end of the period.

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor emphasised the need for ensuring effective marketing systems for the khadi products to meet the challenges of globalisation. Pointing out that khadi and other village industries provide the income and livelihood for millions of villagers in the country, Mr. Bhatia said, there was a need to make them more competitive in the era of globalisation.

Minister for Industries Elamaram Karim said the KKVIB has decided to introduce marginal automation in the khadi sector. For this, automated machines will be installed in all the districts. He said it would be possible to give decent wages to those employed in the khadi sector only through the introduction of minor mechanisation and by increasing the production and productivity. It is unjust to expect that the khadi workers will work at such low wage levels of Rs.30 to Rs.35 a day as is the case now. They must at least get the minimum wages prescribed by the State government, the Minister said.

Mr Kareem also appealed to the KVIC to consider introduction of the ‘one-time settlement’ schemes to clear up the loan arrears of the employees in the khadi sector.

KVIC Chairperson Kumud Joshi in her presidential address said this was the second khadi cluster that was being inaugurated in the State. Expressing caution over the move to introduce mechanisation in the khadi sector, she said this was what was being done by the corporate groups and agents of globalisation.

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