Hariprasad bats for powerloom industry

New Delhi, Mar 5 (UNI) AICC General Secretary B K Hariprasad today urged the Centre to re-examine the rationale of the Textiles Ministry in banning production of coloured sarees on powerlooms.

In a letter to Union Textiles Minister Shankar Singh Vaghela, he demanded the revocation of the ban in the larger interest of powerloom sector.

"The ban order, in fact, has negated all the incentives and subsidies being provided by the Centre and states to the powerloom sector and has rendered the powerloom units on the verge of closure," he complained.

He said, traditionally towns around Bagalkot in Karnataka had powerloom units as cottage industry and more than 150,000 people were earning their livelihood through their powerloom units.

In this context, he pointed out that the Centre has all along been encouraging powerloom sector without any adverse side effect on the handloom sector.

UNI SH AKJ AS1948