CM will open renovated Co-optex outlet in Salem soon, says Gandhi

Salem: Handlooms and textiles minister R Gandhi on Wednesday inspected the work to renovate the showroom of the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society (Co-optex) in Salem at a cost of 2.35 crore. He said chief minister M K Stalin would inaugurate the showroom during his visit to Salem in the second week of June.
The minister said steps were being taken to improve the sales of silk varieties through Co-optex showrooms. “All the Co-optex outlets in the state have already improved the sales.”
According to Gandhi, Co-optex became profitable only a year after the DMK formed the government in the state. “Last year, Co-optex earned Rs20 crore from the sales at its 154 outlets. The showroom in Salem alone clocked sales of 6 crore. The earnings will shoot up in the coming years,” he said.
The minister said the DMK government had increased the wages of weavers by 20% in the past two years. “We have regularized 400 temporary weavers as well with a salary hike this year.”
Gandhi was accompanied by district collector S Karmegam, Salem north MLA R Rajendran, city mayor A Ramachandran and several others.