BAGNALORE: A fund crunch is weaning away those associated with manufacturing the national flag to other lucrative professions. Workers of the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyog Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS), the only licensed body in the country to manufacture and supply the Indian national flag, are shifting to other areas for better wages. Workers of KKGSS are currently paid Rs. 64 a day for 8 hours of labour, which includes spinning and weaving the tricolour. KKGSS has demanded a hike in minimum daily wages of its workers. “Under the Rashtriya Gram Udyog Yojana, other labourers are paid Rs. 130-150. We only want our wages to be doubled,” said Shivanand, manager, KKGSS. The flag maker’s headquater is in Hubli, while the actual manufacturing takes place in Tulasigeri village in Bagalkot district. With a workforce of 100 specialist spinners and 50 weavers, these workers are paid Rs. 3 for 1 hank (1,000 metres) of thread. They manage to spin 15-20 hanks every day. “With just `64 per day, many workers are moving to other professions, which is affecting production,” Shivanand added. Thaiyavva, a spinner for the last 30 years with KKGSS, said that the low minimum daily wage is affecting her family. “I am unable to lead a satisfactory life. I am not sure if I can continue doing this any longer,” she rued. The demand for the national flag is explained in terms of metres. “The current demand is 60,000 metres. With a dwindling workforce, we are able to produce only 40,000 metres,” Shivanand said. “It becomes harder as we have to spin the special Khadi thread used to weave the flag according to standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS),” said Shivanand. Around 10 workers had come to the city to meet Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on Sunday. “We are hopeful that the CM will press for a revision of minimum daily wages that we expect,” he said.
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