Drive against spurious handloom products to be launched at Silchar

Special Correspondent

Silchar: Health-conscious people have always preferred to wear cotton-made dresses. Despite all the craze for style and fashion, cotton remains a favorite choice for people in general in all seasons and weathers. But, a recent trend has been seen among the cloth merchants and sellers to patronize spuriously made cotton products like chador, dhuti, mekhala chador among others and sell them to customers. Cotton mixed with silk is used to take away the very quality of the cotton and handloom products.

In order to put a halt to this black business in the district of Cachar, Abdul Munaf said the department is soon going to launch a drive against the sale of cotton mixed silk products in the market. Such products are harmful in many respects, one of them being skin disease which is most contagious. For this, the department is to invoke the provisions of Handloom Reservation Act 1985. The Act in question provides reservation of certain articles for exclusive production of handloom and other related matters. The same year National Textile Policy was enacted.

After the enactment of the Act, a strong lobby of business barons became active to repeal the Act. Another lobby of health and hygiene conscious organisations and individuals were vocal to see that the Act is strengthened and not repealed. However, another group is of the opinion that the Act needs to be revisited in view of today’s realities. In order to motivate people to buy and use traditional cotton dresses, an exhibition was held where Manipuri handloom and textile products were showcased, revealed L Harilal Singh, assistant director of the department. Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, Laya Madduri, declared open the exhibition as chief guest.

Also present on the occasion were circle inspector Elina Devi and Shanti Kumar Singh, special invitee. The enforcement squad to launch its operation consists of a district magistrate, police personnel, officers and staff of handloom and quality control departments. The department has decided to extend all sorts of help to Manipuri entrepreneurs and other interested persons in their efforts to produce cotton and handloom products.

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