Official apathy mars handloom scheme beneficiaries

To provide a secured life for women in Naxal infested areas, the Handloom and Textile Department of the State government had opened a handloom unit under Suvarna Vastra yojana. However, the beneficiaries are in distress, allegedly due to the non cooperation of the officials.

The scheme was initiated to train women in Kollur, Chithur, Hallihole, Kamalashile in Kundapur taluk. About 100 beneficiaries were trained under the scheme. However, owing to the non cooperation by the officials, weaving did not bring hope into their lives.

Under the direction of Kollur forest officer and Minister for Sports and Youth Service Goolihatti Shekhar handloom training centre was started at Bavadi, Hara, Hallihole, Kabbinale and Vatebacchalu in 2009. Accordingly, 100 beneficiaries were trained at the handloom training centre. The government had even appointed a trainer to each centre with a honorarium of Rs 6,000 each.

Even the beneficiaries were given stipend of Rs 2,000 per month during training. After the training, beneficiaries were given weaving machines. A few beneficiaries were also given solar lamps, Rs 60,000 financial assistance to construct house and other facilities from the government.

The officials had even promised to make arrangement to sell their handloom prodcts at Chittur and at Chakramaidan.

A few women who had received weaving machine have started weaving at their houses. A few machines have started gathering dust.

From February 2010, till date beneficiaries like Lakshmi, Gulabi, Susheela, Revathi and Girija have woven dhotis at home. Five beneficiaries who were trained in Hosabalu centre have shifted their residence after their marriage and their machines are gathering dust at their houses. Accordingly, in majority of the beneficiary households, the work on weaving clothes is moving in a snail’s pace.

Kabbinale centre trainer Ashok told Deccan Herald that the officials have not visited the centre for the last several months.

The beneficiaries have left the training centre and are in search of other jobs.

Two beneficiaries in Vatebacchal handloom centre have received solar lamps.

 “The Handloom Corporation gives us only handloom machine. However, with the supply of poor quality of thread, we can prepare one lungi in a day. The price of one lungi is Rs 52. If we take up job as agriculture labourers, then we can fetch Rs 200 per day. We are ready to weave bedsheets. The officials are not taking the produced handloom clothes from us,” said a woman in Vatebacchalu.

Udupi district Handloom and Textiles department officer Naresh said “handloom machines have been disbursed among those who had availed training from four handloom training centres. The KCDC is supplying threads for them. In fact, the beneficiaries are not engaged in continuos production of clothes. If they do not weave continously, then the machines will get spoiled.”