Shortage of Skilled Workers Hits Production of Sarees for Pongal
The government issued an order on July 1 introducing a new saree design for Pongal 2027, using grey poly cotton yarn for the warp, dyed 60-count cotton yarn for the weft and silver- or gold-coloured 250-denier polyester yarn for the border
Virudhunagar: The shortage of skilled workers to draw warp threads through loom heddles has affected production of Pongal sarees to be distributed free by the state government through ration shops during the Pongal festival.
The government issued an order on July 1 introducing a new saree design for Pongal 2027, using grey poly cotton yarn for the warp, dyed 60-count cotton yarn for the weft and silver- or gold-coloured 250-denier polyester yarn for the border.
The district has more than 3,500 pedal looms operated through 29 weavers' cooperative societies, with a production target of 8.75 lakh sarees for the festival.
Weavers resumed work in the last week of September after a protest lasting more than three months, following the commencement of procurement of old-design sarees. They had demanded fixing wages for the new design, clearance of existing stocks and reimbursement of expenses incurred in modifying looms.
However, shortage of workers skilled in drawing warp threads through heddles has left many looms idle. Only around 1,500 looms have begun producing the new sarees, prompting weavers to seek the handloom department's intervention to bring skilled workers from other districts and expedite production.
