Andhra Pradesh handloom sector reels under lockdown

Ongole: The extension of lockdown up to May 3 due to Coronavirus outbreak has hit the handloom industry very hard. The weavers, whose wages are already low, lost earnings for a month and are about to lose another month. The weavers and workers of the associated crafts are appealing to the government to allow them to work in their houses and cottages by practising social distance and survive the critical times.

"We shall evolve the best practices for the times. We could plan working on alternate looms, maintain a safe distance, keep washing our hands at regular intervals, etc. As the Centre plans relief to the small industry, we too must be given the relief," weavers are unanimous in their proposal.

There are about one lakh handloom weavers in Andhra Pradesh, identified by the Department of Handlooms and Textiles, to offer the assistance of Rs 2,000 announced by the government. Apart from these weavers, there will be another one lakh of associate craft workers from their families. It is estimated that the weavers get wages from Rs 12,000 to Rs 16,000 per month while the associate crafts workers earn from Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 per month. Some of the master weavers, who pay wages to the weavers for weaving the yarn and sell the finished cloth, provide looms to the weavers in cottages while others weave the cloth in the handlooms at their homes. Due to the pandemic COVID-19 and subsequent imposition of the lockdown, the master weavers are unable to market their produce like sarees, dress materials and others and accordingly, they don't pay the full wages to the weavers. On the other hand, the master weavers or weavers' societies didn't receive any stock of the yarn to provide a livelihood to the weavers and workers.

Pitchuka Suresh, a weaver from Chenethapuri Colony in Chirala says: "It is a lockdown for us always. We sit in the pit of the loom and weave the cloth always. Where is the question of interaction with outsiders? If we are not allowed, life remains bleak for us."

Another worry for them is the mounting loans. The government could extend a financial assistance to each of the families to the tune of Rs 10,000 and allow them to start their work, they say.

Similarly, yarn should be given through APCO and societies to revive the industry.

Macherla Mohan Rao from the National Federation of Handlooms and Handicrafts said that APCO had run a due of Rs 70 crore to the weavers' societies while the Andhra Pradesh Government has to pay Rs 176 crore. But, the government has announced a release Rs 20 crore as a corpus fund to APCO to purchase the stocks from societies, he said. Mohan Rao asked the government to immediately clear the dues to APCO. He demanded the government to provide assistance of at least Rs 100 crore to the weavers from the COVID package from the Central government.