Sena-BJP Govt insensitive to weavers’ plight: Oppn

They were demanding payment of `idle wages’ to weavers and compensation of Rs 1 lakh to weavers above the age of 55 years, who responded to a scheme to delink the aged weavers from Maharashtra State Handloom Corporation (MSHC).

In his reply, JaiprakashMundhada, Minister for Textiles and Cooperation, turned down the demand for wages to weavers who were not being given any work since April 1. He said it would be applicable only to those working in the MSHC sheds, and not to the MSHC’s registered card holders.

The Corporation was also paying Rs 15,000 each to weavers aged above 55 years who voluntarily responded to the delinking scheme, he said and added that their demand for a compensation of Rs one lakh could not be conceded.

In their motion, Ahmed and Parate said supply of yarn to the weavers was stopped by the MSHC for the last 10 months, forcing nearly 7000 looms to shut down. On July 18, the weavers started a chain hunger-strike and held several protest rallies, even gheraoed the MHSC’ Managing Director and sent delegations to Mumbai for talks with the Government, they said.

Even as the Minister turned down the demand for higher compensation and wages, there was a spate of supplementaries from Opposition members including Manikrao Thakre (Cong),Wamanrao Chatap (SBP), Sunil Kedar (Ind), Narsayya Adam (CPM) and Nawab Malik (SP). Leader of the Opposition Madhukarrao Pichad also joined the members, who alleged that the Government was neglecting the problems of weavers, many of whom were facing starvation.

They forcefully demanded that the State Government should take over the centrally sponsored Janata Cloth and Marketing Assistance Schemes, which were discontinued from April this year.

Mundhada said that there no response to Janata Saree and Dhoti, and stocks worth nearly six crores were lying unsold with MSHC. The State Government departments purchased cloth worth Rs 6 crore from the Handloom Corporation and still huge stocks have remained unsold.

He informed that Rs 4 crore was provided in the Supplementary Budget for payment to the weavers retiring voluntarily. The problems arose due to central schemes being discontinued and there was lack of demand for the Janata cloth, the Minister added.

Terming his reply as unsatisfactory and condemningthe Government for rejecting the demand for higher compensation and idle wages to weavers, the entire Opposition staged a walkout.

Earlier, Minister of State for Textiles, Arjun Khotkar, in his statement said that the government provided Rs 3.11 crore for supply of yarn to the weavers outside the cooperatives, through the handloom corporation in December 1997 and March 1998.

The State had written to the Centre to continue the Janata Cloth scheme, but a letter from the Union Government on November 16, expressed its inability to do so, he added.