SAVE THE WEAVER: The panel suggested a 10-point action plan to protect the rights of weavers.  File Pic

To inculcate the use of handloom clothes in the country, a Parliamentary panel yesterday suggested that the Centre direct all states and union territories to ask students and teachers to wear handloom dress once a week.

Taking a cue from the Kerala government, Parliament's Standing Committee on Labour in its 35th report said that such an order, "will go a long way in inculcating the use of handloom clothes in the country."

Releasing the 44-page report on general conditions of weavers in the country, Committee Chairman
S Sudhakar Reddy said the Centre should send similar  requests to all states and UTs.

Break monopoly

For protection of handloom markets from invasion of non-handloom products, the panel recommended that proper machinery should be set up for strict enforcement of The Handloom Act, 1985. There should also be proper labelling of handloom products so that these have distinct identities. "This will help in reducing the monopoly in the  market," the report said.

The panel suggested that  identity cards should be issued to weavers.

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