Himalayan Times (1958)

February 23 IM8

Seve*

van have resumed their
tradition*) profession of
weaving whisk they had
given up in recent past
on. aocouat of severe com
petition from the mill
oloth industry and the
laok of enooeragement at
the hands of the then
rulers. To faoilitate the
weavers in beooming mem-
ber! of Weavers' Coope-
rative Sooieties Govern-
ment have granted share
oapital loan at the rate of
Rs 15/-per ootton weaving
member and Be. 87/8/ per
silk weavers. It had very
stimulating effeot in the
country and the number
of handlooms iooluded in
the- oooperative fold in-
creased from 6,20,119 in
1050-1951 to 7,88.664 in
1953 1954 and 8,78,984 in
1954-1956. These looms
in oooperative fold have
beeo provided working oa-
pital loan also. Various
assistance in the form of
supply of improved looms
and accessories, rebate on
the sale of handloom oloth,
dyeing and oalenering of
yarn and - cloth eto are
also provided.

Primary Weavers' Co
operative Sooieties have
been federated under Apex
Sooiety. Tbese Apex or-
ganisations pool the scanty
resources of the . primary
sooieties, supply raw-ma-
terials, offer teehnioal as-
sistance, arrange for cre-
dit faeility through oo-
operative ohannel and

provide better marketing
facilities.

Weavers Cooperative
Sooieties are produoers-
oum-supply cum marketing
sooieties. These sooieties
introduce quality oentrol
measures by prescribing
standard specifications of
the oloth, hold stook of
oloth against future de-
mand and supply credit.
These- sooieties are able
to secure greater finanoial
assistance from Govern-
meat and Other teohnioal
institutions. Weavers' Co-
operative Societies are
artisans societies and hence
they coordinate commu-
nity produetion and com-
munity demand.'

The village and -mall
Soale Industries committee
envisaged a scheme of.
'assured market' for hand-
loom oloth through these
cooperative sooieties. Such
schemes of 'assured -mar-
ket' gives incentive to
weavers for continuous and
increased productivity. Tt
involves a system of pur.
chase of entire out put
at pre determined .prioe
and there!.y it ensures
regular work and wage
for weavers.

Under tbese co-opera-
tive research and designs
are being made. " T h e y
have gone - a long' way in
popularising handloom
oloth. Lovely and attrac-
tive designs have been
introduced.

Daring Second Vive
Year Plan a sum o'f Rs.
200 orores has been pro-
vided for the develop-
ment of village and small
scale industries and out
of this a sum of Rs. 69.6
orores has been allocated
for the Handloom Indus-
try and it has been entrus-
ted to produoe additional
quantity of 1700 million
yards-of oloth. It shows
the potentialities of the
Handloom industry.

Apart from other ad-
vantages as ennumerated
above the Handloom In-
dustry assists in earning
foreign exchange the
.dearth of whioh we feel
se actually for develop-
ment purposes Since the
oo-uperatiyes have started
playing dominant role in
the Handloom industry,
there has been consider-
able export. of handloom
fabrics and the .following
table gives the pictures
thereof.

Year Value in In Million

Creres. Yards.
1962 9.23 63 8

1953 14.70 62.4

1954 8 20 56.6

1955 7 76 65.8

1956 8.66 77.6
Given necessary pro-
tection and assistance
the Handloom Industry
under co-operative will
aohieve immense successes
and it will encourage the
movement amongst other
artisans.