Weavers cry foul over skill funds

Chirala: The officials in the handloom and textiles department in the state made a feast out of the funds meant for uplift of weavers’ community. The weavers allege the officials successfully swindled about Rs 5 crore out of Rs 7 crore released for honing their skills using latest technology and tools. The weavers are getting readied to visit the Chief Minister and demand him to recover all the money from corrupt officials and see the new looms and tools reach them immediately.

In 2016-17, under the National Handloom Development Programme, the Centre wanted to set up 200 handloom clusters and weavers service centres in the country. In Prakasam district, the government decided to establish 16 clusters in which 13 of them in Chirala Assembly constituency while one at Valaparla, one at Eethamukkala and the remaining one at Bestavaripet.

For these 16 clusters, the government allocated Rs 22 crore and sanctioned Rs 7 crore for the survey, selection, training, stipends and procuring the tools and machinery. The government wanted to train 750 families under each cluster in weaving for 45 days, designing for 15 days and dying for 15 days and announced to pay Rs 210 as stipend for each member per day. The government wanted the new generation weavers will have advanced skills in weaving, designing and dying so that they could compete with power loom industries and make their share of market.

The officials claimed that they conducted door-to-door survey, listed out interested candidates and families to hone their skills, procured advanced handlooms and trained them. They submitted bills that they have conducted training sessions and claimed that they have paid stipend for 210 families in Chirala. 

Bandaru Jwala Narasimham of Chenetha Joint Action Committee alleged the officials resorted to corruption in all possible ways. He alleged the officials are resorted to Rs 5 crore corruption in the Rs 7 crore released under the programme in the first phase. As the stipend should be transferred to beneficiaries online, they didn’t touch it but shown their mark of corruption in all the remaining. He alleged that they show in accounts that they bought handlooms for each new batch, whereas the regular looms could last for decades.

He also said the officials claimed the looms were made of teak and quoted high prices, but they purchased cheap looms made of Marujaati wood. He alleged that some batches were trained on old looms and some batches without looms and no yarn or dyes and chemicals. He said the officials collected Rs 900 from each of trained weaver in the name of charges for Jacquard looms, designing and other charges, but not fulfilled their promise. He said they promised to transfer Rs 6,200 as financial help to upgrade the looms, but not done so far.

Another weaver Damarla Narayana Swamy said that in the 13 clusters of Chirala, officials not only tried to float the prices of looms, but also tried to create forged documents. He said the officials should call for tenders to provide the looms and other material, but they awarded the contract to a letterhead company of their men even without TIN number. He alleged that they floated the prices and supplied cheap products and now even after paying lakhs of rupees, there is not a single loom available in the training centres.

Narayana Swamy, Narasimham and others under the Weavers Joint Action Committee complained to the Central government on the irregularities and corruption of officials. They said that Vishesh Nautiyal, Development Commissioner of Handlooms and Director of Weavers Service Centre, New Delhi, conducted an inquiry and submitted a report to the government that Rs 5 crore corruption is true, based on which the state government has suspended the then assistant director of handlooms and textiles in Prakasam district.

J Sivanarayana, the present assistant director of handlooms and textiles, said the officials transferred almost Rs 2.5 crore as stipend to trainees. As there is no time, he said, the contract was given to an agency without calling for tenders and they have all bills for them. To provide advance tools and looms to already trained weavers, they are waiting for finalisation of tenders now, he said.

The weavers demanded that the government recover each rupee from the corrupt officials and public representatives who were involved in the scam and see genuine training and tools are given to them. They are seeking an appointment with the Chief Minister on August 7 in his tour to Chirala to participate in the state-level programme of National Handloom Day and explain him about their problems.