Karnataka   

Creating opportunities for their growth

Creative productions: G.S. Basavaraj, a silk weaver from Molakalmur, displaying a sari at the exhibition in Chitradurga on Tuesday.

Chitradurga: The dwindling silk and wool industry in the district will soon get a facelift, thanks to the promotional activities and welfare programmes being undertaken by the Department of Handloom and Textiles. The industry, which was once facing the threat of elimination, is now gradually regaining prominence.

The week-long district-level “Vastranjali,” an exhibition of handloom products being organised by the department here, is part of the efforts to revive the industry.

The department intends to popularise silk saris and wool products from Molakalmur of Challakere taluk, besides giving a boost to the cotton industry, Deputy Director of the department S. Prakash said.

With the exhibition, the department wished not only to promote the industry, but also provide weavers a platform to market their products, he added. Happy with the effort, many stall owners at the exhibition said that a substantial number of weavers were getting remunerative prices for their products.

“After the formation of a cooperative society, we are not only getting government benefits, but are also earning well,” said G.S. Basavaraj, weaver and member of the Shirdi Saibaba Cooperative Society. A resident of Molakalmur, Mr. Basavaraj said that just a few years ago, weavers of the district were is distress owing to lack of remunerative prices for their products. “We were selling materials to middlemen, who always under-priced our products. But, after the new policy was implemented, the Government itself purchases them and gives us eight per cent profit on each product. With this, we can earn over Rs. 3,000 a month,” he said.

Elaborating on other benefits received from the Government, Siddhalingaiah, a wool weaver from Tumkur district, said the department had provided health insurance, medical benefits and housing facilities to the weavers. “We get free medical treatment at some private hospitals. The department has also built a house for me,” he added.

About the business, he said exhibitions had given the wool industry a good platform to market the products. Earlier, only people from rural areas purchased woollen products, but now the market was expanding even to urban areas,” he added.

Mr. Prakash said the exhibition would be on till Sunday, and customers could buy any product at a discount of 30 per cent.

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