As weavers are currently losing business due to poor marketing facility for their products, it is seen that many weavers are increasingly quitting their generations old profession. Keeping these problems in view, the district administration is gearing up to set up a handloom bazaar in Srikakulam, Andra Pradesh.

The authorities have decided to allocate Rs.1 crore from the special development funds to set up Handloom Bazaar. Plans are afoot to provide a site for the project near the district veterinary hospital, said G Raja Rao, district handlooms and textiles assistant director.

The bazaar will have two floors. The ground floor will have 20 and odd shops, while the first floor will be utilized for other commercial uses.

The collector has directed to complete the construction works of the proposed bazaar by March next year.

According to Rajam Weavers’ Association president Surya Rao, of the 13,000 weaver families in the district only 30 percent are now eking out their living from weaving. The weavers are increasingly switching to other professions or taking up menial jobs as running families with the meager income is becoming difficult.

Moreover, only old weavers are sticking to their family profession, but the younger ones are shying away as the community is incurring recurrent losses owing to lack of marketing facility and poor publicity of products.