The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Widows of weavers pour out their woes to Parliamentary panel

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Monday, Oct 06, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Widows of weavers pour out their woes to Parliamentary panel

K. M. Dayashankar

Parliamentary panel on Labour visits Sircilla
Government urged to open SEZ for textile sector

SIRCILLA (KARIMNAGAR Dt): The widows of powerloom weavers, who resorted to suicide, have said that unemployment due to erratic power supply, lack of minimum wages and market for the grey cloth produced by powerlooms and also consumption of adulterated toddy and ID liquor were the reasons for suicide by powerloom weavers.

The widows, the powerloom workers union leaders and other representatives poured out their woes before the eight-member delegation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour headed by Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, MP, which toured Sircilla town on Sunday.

Malleshwari, a widow, said that because of unemployment and increasing debts her husband committed suicide. Latha, widow of Gangaram, who committed suicide a week ago, said her husband died of starvation because of unemployment and ill-health as they were unable to provide proper medicare to him.

No minimum wages

Powerloom workers union president S Mallesham said that the weavers were not getting minimum wages in Sircilla town. He alleged that the master weavers, who provide employment on powerlooms, were harassing the weavers by providing employment for only six months in a year. He suggested that the government should open a textile corporation and distribute yarn to weavers, so that they could produce value added fabric on modern looms to compete in the market.

Liquor consumption

TDP legislator Ch Rajeshwara Rao said that the weavers were resorting to suicide after consuming ID liquor and adulterated toddy and urged the government to open a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for the textile industry in Sircilla to provide employment to all powerloom weavers.

During the interaction, committee chairman Mr. Sudhakar Reddy said that they would submit the report to Parliament before November this year.

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