The Hindu Business Line : `NHDC should be strengthened to meet yarn requirements of weavers'

AN expert panel, which heard the views of handloom weavers, representatives of spinning mills and the National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC) at a public hearing here on Saturday, recommended that NHDC should be strengthened to meet the specific yarn requirements of weavers.

The panel took note of the crisis in the handloom industry, particularly the hank yarn price increases and stated that the Government must ensure availability of required counts of yarn at required times to the weavers.

It also stated that the Government should make hank yarn production more profitable so that spinning mills would accord priority for its production.

Dastkar Andhra, a non-government organisation working with handloom weavers in Andhra Pradesh, organised the public hearing. The panel members included Magsaysay prize awardee, Dr Shanta Sinha, academicians, Prof D. Narasimha Reddy and Prof. Kodandaram Reddy, former Special Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, Mr S. Ray, faculty member of the National Institute of Rural Development, Dr Venugopal Sharma, senior journalist, Mr V. Hanumanth Rao and IAS officers, Mr Narayan and Mr Abhimanyu Raja.

In addition to yarn procurement and supply, the panel stated that NHDC should look after the welfare of handloom weavers.

The definition of a weaver should also be widened to include shed workers and pre-and-post-loom workers. The panel wanted the Government to monitor the implementation of the Hank Yarn Obligation Act.

Earlier, airing their views at the public hearing, handloom weavers from Chirala, Nalgonda, Yemmiganur, Chittoor and other places in the State explained the ordeals faced by them due to the increase in hank yarn prices.

According to Dastkar Andhra, the price of cotton yarn had increased steeply in recent times affecting the handloom sector and forcing looms to go idle.

Though there had been an increase in cotton production this year, raw cotton prices were around Rs 2,500 per quintal, well above the minimum support price of Rs 1,925 per quintal.

The reason for high prices is increased international demand and lifting of sanctions by the Government on export of raw cotton.