REVIEW OF LITERATURE:

Sahai Biswambhar ,(1956)

National Council for Applied Economic Research

conducted a survey in 1958 on the Economics of Handloom

reported that the problems of

handlooms are due to the competition from power looms and mills. He
felt the need to employ modern techniques of production and design,
government should establish training centres for the benefit of weavers
where they are concentrated and materials like, design books and related
instruments have to be made available.

Industry in Mysore State. The study pointed out that the earnings of
weavers were relatively low and much less than the average standards of
living. It was also pointed that the earnings in the urban centres were
considerably higher than those of the rural centres in 1964.

Chakaraborthy S.M. (1982) remarked that the handloom quality of

products was declined, due to the high rates of raw materials. The
weavers were using cheap quality dyeing colours. As a result of this the
consumers prefer mill made cloth so as weavers community lost their
livelihood. To overcome this situation, government should supply raw
materials at subsidized rates, with quality and in right time.

Sarangadharam (1987) made a study on The Social Conditions of

the Handloom Weavers in Kerala state. He identified the gap between
members and non members of weavers co-operative, relating to income
and other socio - economic living conditions.

Bharat R.K., (1988) has conducted a survey on marketing of Cooperative Handloom Textile - APCO, and has identified some of the areas
where in special care is needed for marketing the handloom products.

Srinivasulu .K (1994) made an attempt to study the Handloom

weavers struggle-for survival in Chirala village in A.P. He has point out
that the handloom sector has been seriously threatened by the severe
competition from the power looms, the survival of the handloom sector
and handloom weavers has been imperiled by sharply rising prices of
yarn, dyes and chemicals.

T.R.Gurumoorthy(1994) states that National Handloom

Development Corporation and Handloom Export Promotion Council are
the two organisations have to concentrate on the export of the handloom
fabrics. These two organisations have to guide handloom sector to
secure ISO-9000 series. This is the symbol of total quality management at
international level.ISO-9000 certificate is basically needed to enter into
the export field and withstand in a the export market. The handloom
fabrics manufactured in co-operatives secure ISO-9000,the handloom
cooperatives can complete well globally in textile market.

Srinivasulu (1996) reveals the reasons of the crisis of the handloom

industry through policy and performance. He focuses some reasons.
Suicides are one clear sign and outcome of the crisis in the handloom
sector. The other major sign is the dramatic decline of the number of
handlooms in the state. There are several reasons mentioned in the
literature for the crisis in the handloom sector. First there is the
competition from the power looms. The importance of power looms has
increased since 1960s. In the middle of the 1990s, according to the
statistics of the Ministry of Textiles, about 56 per cent of the cotton fabrics
was produced by power looms, about 36 per cent by handlooms and the
rest by mills, if other fabrics are also included, the percentages are, 69.23
and 8 respectively. In reality however, it is likely that the share of
handloom cloth production is much lower than these figures indicate,
since a considerable quantity of power loom production may enter into
the statistics as produced by.

Shailaja, Naik and Padhya (1996)

have found in their study that

the odds against handloom weaving in northern Karnataka are many. Lack
of adequate raw materials, middlemen, inadequate marketing facilities
and lack of training and financial assistance are among them. This calls
for imaginative remedial measures. This sector of the Indian handloom
industry can flourish if a suitable technology is made available to the
weavers in the state. It would generate a positive response from them.
The exquisite workmanship of the Andhra Weavers will get its due

recognition only with the revival of this sector by putting it on a sound

footing. The State Government has to play a crucial role in this task.

Aravazhi . D (1999) found that the Non-Farm industries can quickly

absorb large number of rural labourers. The income level of rural mass
can considerably increased by the employment in rural industries. This
consequently leads to rural market, which in turn can provide further
employment opportunities for rural population. The rural industrialization
may result in a positive change in the attitude and traditional values of
the rural people. The concepts like Time Management, Market,
Marketing. Competition, Accounting, Costing, Cost Control,
Entrepreneurship may be popularized among the agrarian society. The
rural industrialization can create an awareness about competition that
may lead to customers care and overall efficiency of the activities. The
promotion and development of non-farm sector in rural areas are
important ways to change the present dual economic structure to achieve
rural modernization.

Prabhakara Sharma and Joglekar (2002) have emphasized that

the area under cotton cultivation in Indian is the largest in the world.
India has the second largest spinning capacity after China in hand
weaving sector and a long tradition of producing some of the finest and
costliest fabrics in the world. India is the biggest yarn exporter with the
share of 28 per cent of the world market and is known for the quality of
its fine count cotton yarns. Through the contribution of the state
handloom to the Indian culture as well as to the national exchequer
presents a satisfactory picture. An insight into the socio-economic and
working conditions of the weavers is tough one. At present, most of the
weavers are leading miserable life for which the main reason is due to
improper technology and also the fruits of the industry are actually
grabbed by the middlemen.

Mubarak Ali (2004) has emphasized that the handloom industry is

today in doldrums. The weaving community is feeding the finch in every
aspect of their working life, be its production or marketing or finance or
anything else. The community has been today pushed to the mercy of the
government. The government has been taking necessary efforts to help
the industry in every possible way in its revival process.

Sameer sarma., (2005) The handloom industry generates

production at low capital cost, mostly using indigenous raw material and
utilizing local skills, widens entrepreneurial base, facilitates balanced

regional growth and prevents the migration labour to the metropolitan

areas.

A.Nagarajan (2007)states that handloom industry is one of the few

industries which does not require fuel or energy for its operation. Its basic
energy is human labour which is available in abundance. There is no need
for oil or electricity or coal for running the handlooms. As the silk industry
is a part of the handloom industry, it provides direct employment by way
of weaving and marketing and also provides indirect employment by the
way of rearing silk-worms and growing of mulberry plants. The silk
industry is essential an agro based industry since the silk worm merely
transform the mulberry leaves into silk-yarn. The sericulture industry
being highly labour intensive, can be an effective means for generation
of gainful employment to a large number of people. Thus , unlike the
modern textile industry, the handloom industry is a highly labour
intensive one, which might solve the problem of unemployment to some
extent.

Jatindra Nath Saikia (2010) reports

Geetanjali and E. Nagabhushana Rao(2011)found that the

that the Assam Government

has to try hard to
bring weaving to such an extent that its past
glory and reputation in weaving would be appreciated again in the world.
Assam should try its level best to regain its past golden history of
weaving by producing the best quality fabrics which can complete in the
International market . The Department of Handloom and Textile, Assam
and weaving cooperative societies working under this department can
take major initiative bringing back the pride, glory and reputation. In
order to achieve these objectives the handloom and textile sector of
Assam requires a booster dose from the Government.

magnitude of poverty in the study divisions reveals that about 64.65

percent of the weavers households are fall below the poverty line. Around
35.35 percent household, who are above the poverty line are also not so
well off. The incidence of poverty among the weavers in uniformly high in
all the divisions. The high incidence of poverty among weavers in the
study Divisions is a clear evidence of low living standards of the weavers
in the District of Srikakulam. This is due to inadequate earnings of these

occupational groups coupled the overall backwardness of the district.

Thus the incidence of poverty exists in all the divisions

G. Satyanarayana, G. Raju and P.N. Sampangi

Ramaiah(2012) found that The handloom s as a non-farm

sector
activity significantly contributed to the rural development of droughtprone , semi-arid and backward district of Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh
is the second most drought prone district in India. Employment of
handloom weaving being a self-employed family activities mostly carried
by all the family members in the weavers household. The total work is
shared by all the family members. The work is very difficult in rainy
season and these family members work as agricultural labour in rainy
season The handloom activities are expected to generate not only self
employment but also provide employment to others.