Surat is the biggest manufacturer of mandap cloths in the country with more than 250 units manufacturing only mandap cloths. According to Sancheti, there are nearly 1,000 other units which are manufacturing mandap cloths as well as other fabrics.
One of the biggest textile clusters of India which had been developed near Surat is incurring daily production loss of nearly 30% due to labour shortage. This is happening when textile units are flooded with orders due to peak summer season. Annual turnover of Surat-based textile units is pegged at `40,000 crore. All these units are heavily depend on migrant labourers. Nearly half of the labour force have gone on a prolonged vacation since Holi. Most of these labourers have not returned to work, citing reasons of marriage season and Lok Sabha elections.
“Majority of migrant labourers are coming from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and Rajasthan. Every year, they go to their natives during Holi and returned to work in 15-20 days. However, this year most of the labourers preferred to take a prolonged vacation in wake of Lok Sabha elections and marriage season,” said Dev Kisan Mangani, chairman, textile committee of South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI).
Textile units in Surat are flooded with orders of fabric, dress materials, sarees and home furnishing due to peak marriage season and vacations, said Mangani, adding, “Most of the textile units are short of 30% production due to labour shortfall. On an average, daily minimum dispatch of textile from Surat to other cities is around `125 crore, but the traders are hardly supplying `90 crore worth of textile goods.”
The industry is often plagued with labour absenteeism in case of natural calamities or man-made disasters in the states from where migrant labourers are hailing, said Mangani, adding that the permanent solution was to provide affordable housing to these labourers in the vicinity of Surat instead of their respective villages under schemes like Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana. “Such measues would ensure the labourers wouldn’t lose their wages and at the same time textile industry would thrive.”
Mandap cloth manufacturers in Surat and its neigbouring places are also facing the similar issue. Labourers have not returned to work and are on extended leave in wake of polling in their respective areas, said Devkumar Sancheti, president of Surat Mandap Cloth Association.
Surat is the biggest manufacturer of mandap cloths in the country with more than 250 units manufacturing only mandap cloths. According to Sancheti, there are nearly 1,000 other units which are manufacturing mandap cloths as well as other fabrics.
Surat’s textile cluster consist more than 6.50 lakh power looms, nearly 4.50 lakh process houses and about 70,000 traders who adds value in terms of making dress material, sareers and ready-made garments.
Published On : 05-04-2019
Source : Financial Express
