Knowledge of marketing skills is a dire necessity in this competitive age, and the poor three million handloom workers of UP are suffering as they do not have this skill.
These master craftsmen and custodians of cultural heritage have failed to capture market.
Moreover, lack of financial resources, non-availability of yarn at reasonable price and lack of an ideal infrastructure add woes to their wounds.
Though, the State Government had established two major corporations, Uttar Pradesh Industrial Cooperative Society (UPICA) and UP Handloom Corporation (UPHC), within ten years of independence for weavers, the two corporations have failed to improve weavers' plight because of corruption and misappropriation of funds.
Corporations were to provide raw materials and training to weavers and facilitate marketing of their products.
These organisations are unable to pay regular salary to their employees and also not cleared Rs4 crore to the weavers. The amount has accumulated due to non-payment to the weavers for the last 10 years.
Experts say that the handloom sector is in bad state due to weak and unstable cooperative structure, lack of motivation and awareness among weavers apart from poor management of Government's financial agencies.
marketing@alchempro.com
