10-day handloom exhibition begins in Coimbatore

Minister for Handlooms and Textiles M. Vijay Balaji inaugurated “The Grand India Dusshera Diwali Handloom Mahotsav” and sale at Ramalakshmi Mahal on Avinashi Road in Coimbatore city on Tuesday, and distributed welfare assistance to weavers. Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar presided.

Organised by the Weavers Service Centre, Salem, under the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Union Ministry of Textiles, the 10-day event will run till October 22. It has 60 stalls with handloom products from across the country, including Kancheepuram silk, Pochampally, Patola, Paithani, Banarasi and Bomkai sarees, shawls, chaddars, carpets and dress materials.

Twenty-four weavers received equipment at 90% subsidy under the National Handloom Development Programme: one electronic jacquard and 23 motorised jacquard lifting machines. Three award-winning weavers were given certificates for a monthly pension of ₹8,000, and four weavers for financial assistance of up to ₹2 lakh a year per child for textile education.

Speaking to reporters later, Mr. Balaji said the demand for a wage hike for workers in the sector was under review, and officials were holding discussions with weavers. A decision would be taken soon.

On international marketing, he said Co-optex was already doing it, and the government was considering giving franchises for overseas markets.

Free electricity for powerlooms was an election promise and would be implemented after consulting the Chief Minister.

On the dhotis and saris for Pongal, he said they would be procured without any corruption. The government’s allocation would be spent solely on this, and the products would be of the finest quality, even in the case of the naalu-mulum (four-cubit) dhoti.