Vouching support for local micro and small scale enterprises producing traditional Assamese silk garments like mekhela sador at Sualkuchi and other parts of Assam, the State Council of the North Eastern Small Scale Industries Association (NESSIA) has urged the government of the north-east Indian state to take urgent measures to protect the interest of textile weavers. During a meeting of the Council, NESSIA Assam state president Sailen Baruah and state general secretary Kumud Chandra Medhi drew attention to a law under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, for safeguarding Assam's Bodo dakhana, Assamese gamosa, mekhela chador and Manipuri mekhela (wrappers). The law categorizes these items as reserved items for the handloom industry, and bars powerlooms from the right to produce these items, Mr. Baruah said and added that any breach of this provision would attract heavy penalty.
The law gives extensive rights to the Directorate of Handloom & Textile, Government of Assam and the district administrations to stop deceitful traders from selling such items produced on powerloom or procured from other places like Surat in Gujarat or Benares in UP, Mr. Baruah said. He further insisted that the Directorate of Handloom & Textile should keep pushing the handloom weavers to apply 'Handloom Mark' sticker on their products. These stickers are easily available in their departments, he added. He called on the Sales Tax Department of Assam to protect the interest of the local weavers by subjecting the bringing of the said reserved items from other states to heavy entry tax. Lastly, the association also stressed on the need for constituting 'silk yarn banks' for traditional silk items made by Sualkuchi handloom weavers.
