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A CPI member of Lok Sabha today has drawn the attention of the Union Textile Ministry to the pathetic condition of handloom weavers of Tamil Nadu and their cooperatives in view of the mounting arrears of payment to them for the purchases made by the Cooptex under the free saree scheme of the Tamil Nadu Government.
In a communication to the Union Textile Minister Mr Dayanidhi Maran, CPI member Mr P. Lingam has said that various cooperative weavers' society in Tamil Nadu in general and in Virudhunagar and Srivilliputhur districts in particular have been supplying sarees under the State Government free saree scheme of the State government during Pongal festival.
In the 2001 Pongal festival season, these weavers' cooperatives had supplied sarees to the State Government through Cooptex and a sum of Rs 5.75 crore had been pending by way of arrears to be paid to them as also to the weavers.
The lack of swift settlement of arrears to the weavers' cooperatives has affected their working capital requirements adversely, he said adding that in Rajapalayam this has even affected the purchase of hank yarn by the weavers and by the cooperatives and provision of timely wages to weavers.
Stating that the mounting arrears threaten to throw thousands of weavers out of job and causing untold privations to them, Mr Lingam said that even the Central cooperative banks functioning under National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) for extending advances were failing to extend productive sector lending.
Hence the cessation of payment to the procurement of supply by Cooptex has further aggravated the weavers' worsening plight. In view of this grim situation, Mr Maran should intervene immediately to address the problems plaguing the handloom weavers in the State.
The Union Textile Ministry and the Development Commissioners (Handloom) functioning under it should help to ease the norms for borrowing by the weavers' cooperatives to ensure that productive credit is extended to the cooperatives and the weavers get their due wages without delay once the supply is received by the Cooptex, Mr Lingam added.
geeyes@thehindu.co.in
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