HUBBALLI: One fallout – of several unfortunate ones – of the pandemic and the consequent lockdown has been on the production of the national flag. Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangh (KKGSS) in Bengeri, Hubballi, which makes the national flag as per standards set by the government of India and Bureau of Indian Standards, has had to halt production due to a lack of raw material.
With Independence Day barely four months away, the khadi centre was preparing to meet demand for lakhs of flags from across India and abroad. However, the management had to stop production since it could not procure raw material – including dyes – from other areas of the state and elsewhere in the country. It now fears it will not achieve its sales target of Rs 3.5 crore.
Also, more than 1,200 weavers employed at the khadi centre have been rendered jobless and are now finding it difficult to run their families. The weavers allege the government has neglected them and has not released incentive totalling Rs 1.6 crore for the community. That package has been pending since 2013-14, they allege.
Shivanand Mathapati, secretary of KKGSS, told TOI, “This is the first time we are facing problems in production. We sold national flags worth Rs 1.5 crore ahead of Republic Day in January and we began production of flags for Independence Day in March. But then the lockdown was suddenly announced and it has put to great hardship. We don’t have adequate stock of raw materials to meet I-Day target.
Mathapati said the khadi centre sources raw materials from villages in Bagalkot and Mudhol. “But due to the lockdown, we could not get cloth and thread among other things,” Mathapati said. “Also, since public transport was suspended, workers were stranded in their villages. We have stock worth Rs 45 lakh in godowns, but that is not enough to meet demand.”
With Independence Day barely four months away, the khadi centre was preparing to meet demand for lakhs of flags from across India and abroad. However, the management had to stop production since it could not procure raw material – including dyes – from other areas of the state and elsewhere in the country. It now fears it will not achieve its sales target of Rs 3.5 crore.
Also, more than 1,200 weavers employed at the khadi centre have been rendered jobless and are now finding it difficult to run their families. The weavers allege the government has neglected them and has not released incentive totalling Rs 1.6 crore for the community. That package has been pending since 2013-14, they allege.
Shivanand Mathapati, secretary of KKGSS, told TOI, “This is the first time we are facing problems in production. We sold national flags worth Rs 1.5 crore ahead of Republic Day in January and we began production of flags for Independence Day in March. But then the lockdown was suddenly announced and it has put to great hardship. We don’t have adequate stock of raw materials to meet I-Day target.
Mathapati said the khadi centre sources raw materials from villages in Bagalkot and Mudhol. “But due to the lockdown, we could not get cloth and thread among other things,” Mathapati said. “Also, since public transport was suspended, workers were stranded in their villages. We have stock worth Rs 45 lakh in godowns, but that is not enough to meet demand.”
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