Keeping in mind the possibility of rise in sale of power loom-made Gamocha in Assam for its high demand during the forthcoming Rongali Bihu and to protect the local weavers, the Darrang district administration has intensified its vigil in this regard so that the hand loom-made locally-produced Gamocha sale is not affected during the Bihu season.
Following the directive of the Handloom and Textile Department, Government of Assam vide its letter No HTS-86/2013/49 dated April 3, 2015 and subsequent letter No HTS 66 /2012/24 dated April 12, 2017, the Darrang district administration has formed a district level enforcement committee to control the illegal sale and transport of power loom-made Gamocha as per provision of the Handloom (Reservation of Articles for Production ) Act, 1985 .
The district level enforcement committee headed by Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kr Barman as the Chairman comprises Assistant Director, Handloom, Darrang, Assistant Director, Sericulture, Darrang, Sales Tax Superintendent, Mangaldai, General Manager, District Industries and Commerce Centre (DICC) , Darrang and one police officer not below the rank of a Sub-Inspector, as the members respectively.
This committee has been keeping strict vigil on the market and preparing to conduct joint inspections for prevention of sale of Gamocha produced in power looms outside the State and to take legal action against the unscrupulous traders involved in violation of the Act, informed Bipuljyoti Kalita, Assistant Director, Handloom Department , Darrang.
Earlier, the committee as a part of its awareness drive, distributed leaflets among the traders regarding the Handloom Act while making an appeal to them to refrain from sale of power loom-made Gamochas produced outside Assam and also the consumers to buy only the Gamochas produced in hand looms by the local weavers, sources said.
However, Kon Chakravorty, a veteran trader and owner of Mangaldai-based Assam Silk House, a commercial centre of locally-produced Gamochas and traditional ‘mekela chaadars’ while talking to NE Now termed this step as ‘very late’. He claimed that the sale of low-cost power loom-made Gamochas has been going on unabated in the State in the whole year which has caused serious threats to the local hand loom-made traditional Gamochas.