Assam govt to procure 10 lakh handloom gamosas ahead of Rongali Bihu

Guwahati, April 11: The Assam Government has decided to buy 10 lakh gamosas from local weavers in the run-up to Rongali Bihu and already more than five lakh have been procured, said the Minister in charge of Sericulture department, UG Brahma. He also called upon the people of the State not to buy powerloom gamosas.

Talking to The Assam Tribune, Brahma said that one of the main aims of the Government is to empower the local weavers and popularize the gamosa all over the country. He said the Government will gift gamosa to the President of India, the Prime Minister and a host of prominent persons of the country before the Bihu festival.

Brahma said that all the old stock of gamosas has exhausted and the weavers are now working round the clock to supply the required number of gamosas as sought by the Government. He, however, admitted that it is not possible for the Government to ascertain the exact number of gamosas produced by the local weavers as the local market is also huge.

On the problem of availability of power-loom gamosas in the market, Brahma said that all the District Commissioners have been directed to launch an operation to seize such gamosas. He said that the Sericulture department personnel are also helping out the district administration in this regard. Only yesterday, massive raids were conducted at Fancy Bazar and Maligaon areas of the city and similar drives would continue in the days to come.

The Minister said that eight types of gamosas have received the GI tag but there are many other types of gamosas available in the market and it is not easy for the common people to identify whether these are handloom products or not. He also admitted that powerloom gamosas are brought in by unscrupulous people from outside the State. As the interstate borders are open, police and officials can only check the highways but there are other smaller routes through which illegal materials can be brought in.

Brahma said that it is not possible for the Government alone to check the sale of powerloom gamosas and people have to play a major role. "I appeal to the people of Assam to have self-esteem and take a vow not to buy powerloom gamosas," he said. He also pointed out that though the powerloom gamosas are cheaper, their quality is poor as compared to handloom gamosas. "The handloom gamosas are much comfortable to use and last longer," he added