Siricilla textile industry on weaving spree with upcoming elections

Sirisilla textile industry has received innumerous orders for party flags, banners, towels, stoles as elections are ahead in four states in the country. The elections have turned out to be a boon for many people as it created more jobs and more salary.

Rajanna Sircilla: Employees of Sirisilla textile industry are on a weaving spree as legislative elections in four states and municipal election is ahead in Andhra Pradesh. Political party members rely on the industry for party flags, banners, towels, stoles. Elections turned out to be a boon for the employees as it sustains their livelihood. The intricate Batukamma saree is the masterpiece of weavers in the industry.

While husbands work in the textile industry here, wives rely for their income on the Beedi industry to support their families. While the town's weavers produce polyester cloth on looms, the trade is done by printing various party symbols on cloth, cutting it into different sizes and exporting it from here.

As in numerous orders are received from different states, more people are hired and employees are getting hike in salary.

Customers can place their order and make payment online with Sirisilla merchants. A total of 10,000 weavers are full fledged working on 27,000 looms to produce polyester cloth material. Weavers are certain of their monthly income and livelihood here.

Agents in the polling areas place orders directly to traders, as flags, banners and scarves are cheap, regardless of the type of fabric. Prices of the flags vary depending on the size of the flag ranging from Rs 4 to Rs 30 per piece. Likewise, the price of scarves too is dependent on the size and vary between Rs 30 to Rs 50 per piece.

Fancy and designer scarves are priced slightly higher than these prices. However, the price is pre-determined when the orders are taken and are supplied accordingly. With about 10 traders taking large orders in the town, women, youth, handloom weavers and tailors of the town are getting good employment and are gaining financial stability.

These workers, previously, used to make Beedis in the town. They used to get around Rs.1500 to Rs.2000 per month, with a minimum preparation of 500 beedis. However, with the onset of the flags and election material production, the same workers are earning almost between Rs 6000 to Rs 9000 per month. With the elections in four states now underway, about 1000 workers are directly benefiting while another 500 women are indirectly benefited from the orders.

Not just the bulk orders on the election campaign material, but the state of Tamil Nadu has earlier too, in the year 2014 elections, has ordered around 1 crore of handloom sarees from the Siricilla weavers, to be used as part of the election freebies during that period.

Again at the present day, these weavers are given a ray of hope with the bulk orders for the campaigning material not just from the local areas, but also from the neighbouring states of Andhra, Tamil Nadu and others. The democratic exercise not only gives power to citizen to choose their government but also generates income for many people.