JOIN USThe Sericulture Development Commissioner has expressed his helplessness over the fact that the government was unable to announce the support price. The All India Action Committee Against Reduction in Import Duty on Silk had presented a memorandum of demands to the Department of Commerce and Industries.
The members had stated in the memorandum that the Government was supposed to announce a support price of Rs 350 per kg.
And in case, if the goods were sold at a lower rate, then the Government was supposed to bear the expenses.
Earlier, a memorandum was submitted by the weavers on June 11, 2009 and on October 22, 2009 urging the government to meet a few of their demands.
However, the Government had informed that it was unable to announce the support price then. Yet the government was urged to announce at least Rs 25 for the mixed variety of cocoons, and Rs 50 for the diacot variety.
However, when compared to the prices of silk cocoons in the previous years, the price of the silk cocoons presently, had recuded drastically, the commissioner has said. However, the matter will be taken up before the Central Silk Board and measures will be taken to announce support price after a detailed discussion, he added.
Dharna in front of leaders’ houses
The Regional Raitha Sangha has declared that they would be staging a dharna in front of the houses of the MPs of Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts and also in front of the house of the minister for external affairs, over their failue in tiding down the crisis faced by the silk weavers and mulberry cultivators.
Disclosing this at a press conference here on Friday, leader of the Sangha J C Bayyareddy said that the lives of the silk weavers and mulberry cultivators was precariously weighing on the mere assurances and promises made by the elected representatives. They can no longer continue to live like this.
Hence, the Sangha had decided to stage dharna in front of the houses of Ministers K H Muniyappa, Veerappa Moily and also S M Krishna. On March 20, the members of the Sangha will protest in front of S M Krishna’s house in Bangalore and also in front of Veerappa Moily’s house in Chikkaballapur. On March 24, the Sangha will stage a dharna in front of K H Muniyappa’s house.T M Venkatesh, growers Dyaveerappa, Arjun, Munisonnappa and others were present on the occasion.