The Hindu : Front Page : Quake in China hits State silk weavers

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Quake in China hits State silk weavers

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: Earthquake in Sichuan province in China seems to be shaking the livelihood of about two lakh silk weavers in Karnataka, who are now seeking the Centre’s help.

Karnataka Weavers Federation has appealed to Shankar Singh Vaghela, Union Minister for Textiles, to come to the rescue of silk weavers in Karnataka who are facing a severe shortage of silk yarn supplied from Sichuan region, a major centre of raw silk yarn manufacturing, following earthquake.

The weavers are asking the Ministry to allow duty-free import through a Government agency such as Indian Silk Export Promotion Council and supply silk through cooperative societies to tide over the crisis.

T.V. Maruthi, president of the federation, is in Delhi to meet the Minister with a delegation of weavers. Speaking to The Hindu, he said that he is hoping to meet the Minister before Monday.

With earthquake hitting the manufacturing units in China on May 12, the price of silk yarn in India has gone up by about six U.S. dollars a kg, the federation has said in its the appeal to the Ministry.

The rate of imported silk yarn has shot up to about Rs. 1,600 a kg as against Rs. 1,200 a kg earlier, pushing up the cost of silk production.

“A large number of looms have been closed and those who relied on weaving for a livelihood are literally on the streets as they have no alternative employment,” Mr. Maruthi said.

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