Chirala: Weavers protest against abolition of Handloom Board

Chirala: The handloom weavers and handicraft artisans from the surrounding areas of Chirala organised a demonstration at Avvaru Mahalakshmi Colony in Eepurupalem under the leadership of Rashtra Chenetha Jana Samakhya and National Federation of Handlooms and Handicrafts.

The leaders of the weavers and handicraft workers, Devana Nageswara Rao, Karna Hanumantha Rao and others said that the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India abolished the All India Handlooms Board on July 29, 2020, and All India Handicrafts Board on August 4, 2020, by passing resolutions through the development commissioners of the respective boards.

They said that the handicrafts board was established in 1952 by PupulJayakar and were handled by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay with objectives of supply of raw materials, to provide marketing facilities, credit, research on products and utilisation of local materials, and to establish regional centers for handicrafts and handlooms. Based on the increasing need, the government constituted the All India Handloom Board in 1992, they added.

They said that the government is said to be supporting the Make in India and Vocal for Local movements, but is actually killing the opportunities and support to the handmade products in the country with decisions like this.

They demanded the Union government reconstitute the All India Handloom and Handicraft Boards with eminent and experienced personalities, who are deeply involved in the sectors as the members of the boards immediately. They also demanded that the government impose a moratorium on the GST on handlooms and handicrafts for three years, establish handloom products purchasing centers in handloom clusters and announce financial assistance of Rs 3000 per month until they get work.