Karnataka: Weavers end lives over lockdown debt in Belagavi district

BELAGAVI: With sales of saris, their main product, yet to pick up despite restrictions being lifted, power loom weavers in Belagavi district are reeling under distress triggered by the lockdown. Many are resorting to taking their lives.
In the past month, three people have ended their lives. Estimates suggest 3.2 lakh families — mostly workers in power looms — are suffering and are yet to receive even a single rupee of the Rs 2,000 per worker relief announced by the state government.
Uday Kumar Vittal Upari, a relative of Sujit Chandra Upari, 38, who committed suicide recently, said families are unable to make ends meet and are mired in debt.
“During the first phase of the lockdown, power loom owners helped with monetary support, but that changed drastically when the lockdown was extended,” Udaykumar said. “The problem intensified as investors could not make payments.” He said unless the government intervened, the situation would get worse.
Prashuram Dhage, secretary, Belagavi District Weavers Forum, said about 35 lakh saris remain unsold. Besides being exported to eight countries, 22 states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu procure saris. He said the business was lucrative until GST and the lockdown destroyed the markets.
Dhage said manufacturing is yet to resume as raw material, especially yarn, is hard to get due to transportation problems since it comes from other states. He alleged textile minister Shrimant Patil has not even bothered to visit families of the victims.
Umashree, former minister who hails from the community, said the Rs 2,000 relief announced by the government is woefully insufficient. She said the state must provide interest free loans, besides a monetary package.
Govt may buy saris: Minister
Minister Shrimant Patil said the government may purchase saris to help weavers. “I will discuss it with chief minister BS Yediyurappa,” Patil said. “I will also work with the CM to provide interest-free loans.” A long-standing demand of weaver associations is for the government to give Rs 300 crore to Karnataka Power Loom Development Corporation to enable it to purchase saris. Patil said new guidelines would be released soon to help weavers avail the Rs 2,000 relief under Nekar Samman package. Community leaders demanded that it be increased to Rs 5,000.