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Chennai: Similar to co-operative agricultural bodies to market produce directly and ensure value addition, textile department officials are now looking to create ‘weaver companies’ for small power loom weavers.

A definitive measure, which attempts to weed out middlemen to increase the scope and income of small weavers, said officials. 

Sourcing cheap raw material from Tamil Nadu and selling it elsewhere, the middlemen work to restrict the business potential of weavers here. "Middlemen place bulk orders of around 10,000m or more to master weavers, who in turn outsource it to smaller power loom weavers. The small weavers are paid daily wages," said M Balasubramanian, deputy director at the regional office of the textile commissioner in Coimbatore. This has made the weavers dependent on these job orders and has been stopping them from realizing their full potential, said Balasubramanian. Those small weavers who buy yarn and weave grey fabric for individual orders too don’t have ready investment prospects as they have to wait 120 days to get the payment, he said. 

The middlemen sell the fabric in other states which come back here as value-added textiles. "If small weavers form companies, they could get big orders, but and also do value addition to improve their marketing prospects," he said.

Officials at the regional office of the textile commissioner, under the ministry of textiles, Government of India, said a proposal has been sent to the ministry seeking support for small power loom weavers in the region to set up companies. "So far nine weaver clusters have volunteered to form companies. Each of these clusters has 500 power looms and around 1,500 to 2,000 beneficiaries," he said.

The state’s proposal seeks financial assistance for the weaver clusters so that they can get big orders for grey fabric and also produce value-added fabric such as dyed and printed fabrics. It seeks to facilitate interest-free loans meant for weavers for a period of five years. Small power loom weavers from areas such as Palladam, Somanur, Pallipalayam and Veerappanchatram in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Namakkal districts have shown interest.

Weavers who have come forward to form companies as it gives them an MSME status. This would not only get them big orders, but also a representation for government orders. V T Karunanidhi, former vice-chairman of Powerloom Development and Export Promotion Council, said the initiative would transform small power loom weavers, who now operate for wages, into entrepreneurs.

Published On : 19-03-2019

Source : Times of India

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