Sachin weavers to go on strike today

Protest police inaction in vanishing textile firms cases

The weavers of Sachin GIDC will observe a one-day token bandh on Friday to protest police apathy in taking action against vanishing textile firms.

Addressing a press-meet today, The Sachin Industrial Co-operative Society president Magan Patel said: "Numerous textile firms have downed shutters and vanished from the city in the last few months. Weavers have lost crores of rupees, but police has not taken any strict steps."

"Just two days back, a textile firm that was run by some Saurashtra-based persons in Bombay Market vanished from the city. From the figures we have collected so far, weavers have lost over Rs 3 crore in the firm. We had approached police seeking action against the firm owners, but till date even a formal complaint has not been registered by police," Patel said.

"It is to protest this indifferent attitude of police in these cases that we have decided to keep all weaving units in Sachin GIDC closed on Friday. From the dozens of instances of vanishing firms that have taken place in recent months, we feel the police has sided with the accused, instead of helping us recover our money," Patel said.

Sachin Weavers Association vice president Bipin Ramani, said: "We have come to know that the grey which was supplied to the Bombay Market firm in the last few weeks, has been sold in the local market itself. Police could easily recover the grey and help us get our money back."

"The police inaction has encouraged more cheats to dupe us. The only thing we are asking police to do is to set an example by taking strict steps against one defaulter, so that others do not indulge in such vanishing acts," Ramani said.

Attacking the Gujarat government, Ramani said: "We have made a number of representations to the state government, demanding a Special Economic Offence Cell for the textile industry. Chief minister Narendra Modi talks of 5 crore Gujaratis, but he has done nothing to save Surat's textile industry."

"We have decided to observe a token one-day bandh and all powerloom units in Sachin GIDC will remain closed tomorrow. This is just the beginning. If our demands keep on falling on deaf ears, we will not hesitate to start an indefinite bandh," Ramani added.

There are approximately 1500 weaving units in Sachin GIDC. The total number of powerlooms in these units is over 60,000. These weaving units provide employment to around 60,000 to 70,000 workers, while their combined annual target is in excess of Rs 1500 crore.