Govt urged to give permission to produce Dhotis, Sarees

More than hundred power loom owners  under the leadership of the Federation of Tamil Nadu Power Loom Associations President Suresh submitted a petition to the Assistant Director of the Handloom and Textiles Department at Erode pleading to the government to give orders to the powerlooms to start free dhothi and saree production in order to give it to the poor during Pongal festival under the free cloth distribution scheme. 

The federation PRO Kandhavel said every year thousands of weavers working in 67000 looms in 223 powerloom weavers coop societies in the state got benefit by producing free school uniform cloth and 1.80 crore dhothis and 1.80 crore sarees by getting orders from the Tamil Nadu Government.

 For the last ten years, orders to produce free cloth were placed to the societies in June, helping thousands of people to get jobs through it.  Already, due to the ups and downs of yarn prices, the loom owners and workers were in deep crisis and facing jobless.

 Last year, orders for producing  dhothi was given in August and saree in November, so that there was much delay in producing the cloth. To avert such thing, orders should be given now itself to produce free cloth, they pleaded.