Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 8: Valley handloom weavers today sought a ban on power looms, arguing that the handloom industry won’t survive if the ban is not invoked.
“Handloom Industry of the State is facing threat from powerlooms and since last two years, the weavers of the State are fighting their cause for imposition of ban on production of Pashmina Products on powerlooms otherwise the Handloom Industry of the State will not survive,” they said, while speaking on the National Handloom Day at SKICC here. They also requested for imposition of ban on spinning of Pashmina on machines also.
Chander Prakash Ganga, Minister for Industries and Commerce, said that first time in the history of India, the National Handloom Day has been organized. “This indicates the seriousness of Central / State Governments towards this sector, he said and assured the weavers of all possible help to redress their problems.
Minister of state for Industries and Commerce, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, speaking on the occasion said that State Government has already taken various steps to redress the problem of weavers.
The event was organized by Directorate of Handloom Development and Jammu and Kashmir State Handloom Development Corporation Limited in collaboration with Weavers Service Centre (Ministry of Textiles, Government of India).