Powerloom weavers demand loan waiver benefit.

Belgaum: The Uttara Karnataka Nekarara Abhivruddhi Samiti has urged the State Government to prevail upon the Centre to extend the loan waiver benefit to powerloom weavers.

At a meeting of powerloom weavers from Belgaum and Bagalkot districts here on Friday, samiti president Ravi Pandithappa Karalkatti said powerloom weavers had been deprived of the benefit though the Centre announced to waive Rs. 3,200 crore loans of handloom weavers last year.

During the meeting, weavers discussed various issues concerning the powerloom sector, which engaged a large number of weavers and workers in north Karnataka and other parts of the State, and sent a memorandum with a list of 15 demands to the Chairman of the Handloom Development Corporation. Samiti secretary Parshuram Dhage was present.

Their demands include establishment of a textile market in major city centres such as Belgaum on the lines of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee, timely disbursement of loans at 3 per cent interest as promised by the BJP Government, 50 per cent subsidy on purchase of raw material such as warp and weft threads, subsidised electricity for powerloom units at Rs. 1.25 per unit and free power supply up to 10 HP, and samudaya bhavans in weavers' colonies.

The samiti members demanded that a revolving fund with Rs. 50 crore as initial allocation to pay minimum support price to the powerloom products be set up.

Support price should be given from April to July every year.
Courtesy The Hindu