Chennai: Handlooms minister O.S. Manian on Tuesday announced 10 per cent hike in dearness allowance for Handloom Weavers Co-operative Society members and salary hike for the workers of the societies as per the recommendations of the committee set up for the purpose.
Replying to the discussion on demands for grants to his ministry, he said modern equipment would be given for handloom weavers at a cost of Rs 4.23 crores to reduce their work burden and increase production. The minister said CCTV cameras would be fit in 50 co-optex showrooms and 2,000 new designs would be introduced. All the co-optex showrooms would be modernised, he added.
The government is providing jobs to 50 lakh persons through weaving, he said and handloom garments worth Rs. 459 crore had been sold. The garments factories in Tiruppur had exported goods worth Rs 23,500 crore this year and added that the exports had grown at 13.53 per cent. In the textile industries, foreign investments for '1.954 crores had been signed due to the Global Investors Meet.
The number of co-operative societies earning profit had risen to 1,011 from 946, the minister said and added that a special discount of 15 per cent would be given to silk clothes manufactured till 31, March 2015 to increase their sale.
‘Jaya donated jewels for Indo-Pak war’
He hailed Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa for her patriotism and recalled that she had donated her jewels to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shasthri when during the Indo-Pak war in 1965.
She also warned the Indian government that Pakistan was preparing to wage a war against India before the break out of the Kargil war. Her words were prophetic, the minister said.
He said 'Those who betrayed the Sri Lankan Tamils have no locus standi to complain about the rule of my leader who lives for the people of Tamil Nadu”.
He also described her as the leader of Tamils all over the world and the future of Lankan Ta-mils.
No bonded labourers in textile industry
Handlooms and textile minister O.S. Manian on Tuesday categorically dismissed existence of bonded labourers in the textile industry in the state under CM Jayalalithaa’s regime.
He was responding to DMK Alandur MLA and former labour minister T.M Anbarasan remark that for over 30 years the practice of employing young women in spinning mills for low wages for a period of three years under schemes like Sumangali, Mangalyam and Camp Coolie was continuing unabated. Participating in the debate on the demands for the grants for labour, textile and handlooms department, Mr Anbarasan said that women workers were subjected to severe hardships as they were forced to work for 12 hours a day. “They were paid wage at the end of three years of service,” he said.
Even before Mr Anbarasan finished his speech, Mr Manian stood up to reply evoking a strong opposition from DMK members. The Opposition members were on their feet against the minister's intervention but the Speaker asked them to take their seat. The minster made it clear that there was no question of existence of bonded labours in the state. He noted that mill owners had made arrangement for hostel facilities for women workers and they are free to visit their families as well.
“You can call them as bonded labour only when they are not allowed to meet anyone. They are allowed to communicate with their family members. Their safety has been ensured,” he said.
