Mysore Silk saree stocks may run out in two days!

Mysore/Mysuru: Silk saree production at the famed Mysore Silk weaving unit of the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) on Manandavadi Road in city came to a complete halt this morning, as employees struck work in protest against the proposed construction of a stadium in the  premises of KSIC Filature Factory at T. Narasipur.

Production had already been partially affected since yesterday, with some employees travelling to T. Narasipur to join the ongoing agitation. Today, however, operations were fully suspended, with many workers either heading to T. Narasipur factory or staying away from duty.

Only a handful of retired employees, who were re-employed on a contract basis to help increase saree output, were seen operating the looms and spinning ready silk yarn into sarees of various designs.

All other activities, including procurement of raw silk threads, thread tying, segregation, dyeing, drying and related processes, have been stopped.

There are over 775 employees at the Mysuru City weaving unit, of whom only 75 are permanent staff, while the rest are engaged on an outsourcing basis. A few retired employees are also assisting in production.

The unit supplies sarees to KSIC showrooms. There are five showrooms in Mysuru, six in Bengaluru, and one each in Channapatna and Hyderabad and nearly 1,500 sarees are collectively sold each day.

Dependent on T. Narasipur unit

“Without raw silk from the Filature Factory, the weaving units in Mysuru and Channapatna cannot function,” the striking staff said. The employees voiced strong concern that the proposed transfer of 6 acres and 8 guntas of KSIC land to build a stadium would undermine the Corporation’s future growth.

“The silk reeling unit, which has produced quality silk yarn for nearly a century, must be safeguarded without compromising its core operations. The priority should be modernising the KSIC silk unit, creating jobs and strengthening the silk industry,” the striking staff said.

Depleting stocks

KSIC Managing Director Zehera Naseem and Sericulture Department Secretary R. Girish visited the protesters at T. Narasipur yesterday and appealed to them to resume work. However, employees have decided to continue the agitation until the CM intervenes and resolves the issue.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, the MD said, KSIC currently has a stock of about 2,500 Mysore Silk sarees. If the strike continues, the stock may be exhausted within the next 2 days, affecting market availability. She cautioned that the disruption could significantly impact the supply of Mysore Silk sarees, which remain in high demand.