India;Silk traders protest hike in raw material prices
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admin
PublishDate:
2006-03-01 11:18:00
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KANCHEEPURAM: More than 500 shopkeepers selling silk products in Kancheepuram put up their shutters on Tuesday to protest against the increase in prices of raw silk and zari.
A rally was conducted from the Rangaswamy temple to the District Collectorate in which trade union leaders and silk manufacturers participated. The protestors held a demonstration in front of the Collectorate.
They demanded import of raw silk to reduce the manufacturing cost of silk sarees. The silk manufacturers and union leaders said that the price of raw silk was increasing day by day and noted that the present rate of raw silk was Rs 1900 a kg.
The cost of zari had also increased. Silk manufacturers were finding it difficult to meet the cost of production due to the increase in prices of raw silk and zari, they said.
揑f this situation does not change, we will be forced to stop production which will affect the livelihood of thousands of weavers, the silk manufacturers said.
Urging the Union Government to allow import of raw silk, they said that the Centre should control the prices of zari to protect the silk industry.
Pointing out that thousands of workers were dependent on the silk industry, the silk manufacturers appealed to the State and Central Governments to take steps to save the industry.
They also demanded that steps should be taken for the development of mulberry silk production.
The protestors also pointed out that the Gujarat Government had exempted zari from taxation and urged the State Government cancel the sales tax on zari.
Silk Manufacturers?Association president V Singara Mudaliar presided. CITU leader E Muthukumar, Zari Merchants Association president M Jayavel, L V Kumar (INTUC), S M Elumalai (AITUC) and S Kandasamy (LPF) participated.
Meanwhile, in another demonstration on Monday evening, the BJP condemned the left parties who were supporting the Centre which had increased the prices of raw silk and zari.
While the demands of the BJP workers were similar, they held both the Congress and the Communist parties responsible for the present crisis in the silk industry.
The demonstration was led by the party抯 district weavers?wing leader S Vajjiravel.
Traders demanded import of raw silk to reduce the manufacturing cost of silk sarees.