Weavers bat for Made in Manipur goods
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 04 2023:
Weavers at Lamboikhong-nangkhong Handloom Estate have exuded confidence that they can contribute to the overall development and make Manipur a self reliant State if people reduce their dependence on garments brought from outside and start buying their clothes more.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, a 38 year old weaver L Bhanu Devi said that the estate at Lamboi-khongnangkhong has been making school uniform, bedsheets, aprons, kurtas and other garments since 2021 using the powerlooms provided by the Ministry of Textiles under North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS) .
Saying that they can make clothes of about 40-45 metres in a day using a powerloom, she said that the weavers at the estate are given Rs 273 per day as per the Labour Law.
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It is somewhat difficult to provide for the family with the given wage and as such the estate is considering paying wages based on the number of clothes they (the weavers) make, she added.
Continuing that they don't compromise on quality, she claimed that their garments have better quality than most of those available in the market.
Bhanu said that the economy of the State will improve considerably if the people promote local firms and establishments instead of depending on other States for everything.
General Manager of Manipur Handloom and Handicraft Development Corporation Th Basanta said that the powerloom at Lamboikhongnangkhong was provided under NERTPS for the local weavers to work under a common platform.
Some weavers make clothes by using power looms individually but the success rate is quite low, he said.
Saying that the estate at Lamboikhongnangkhong has 98 powerlooms, Th Basanta maintained that the weavers both men and women, are all certified.
Saying that the weavers are given Rs 273 daily as per Labour Law, he continued that the estate makes both thin and thick clothes, including school uniform, bedsheets, aprons, kurtas, pyjamas etc.
The garments are finalised at Apparel and Garment Making Centre before putting up for sale at Manipur Handloom and Handicraft Development Corporation at Paona Keithel, he added.
The powerlooms at Lamboikhongnangkhong Handloom Estate were procured from Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh by the Manipur Government, Th Basanta informed and added that a single machine costs around Rs 1 lakh to 2 lakh.
He said that they provide yarns for making clothes to the weavers.
Currently, the estate employs 13 women and two men as weavers, he said and added that they can take the handloom industry of Manipur to greater heights if there is adequate raw material and provide employment opportunities to hundreds of youths.