Guwahati, Apr 6 (KNN)  A trade promotion body in the North East has asked the state government to strictly implement laws to protect indigenous handmade items such as Assam’s Bodo Dakhana,  Gamosa, Mekhela Chador and Manipuri Mekhela (wrappers) from being manufactured by the powerloom sector.

“The law categorizes these items as reserved items for the handloom industry, and bars powerlooms from the right to produce these items and any breach of this provision would attract heavy penalty,” said North East Small Scale Industries, State President, Sailen Baruah. 
 
He called for banning the sale of such items produced on powerlooms and discourage its procurement from other places like Surat in Gujarat or Benares in UP by putting heavy entry tax on them.
 
“The Directorate of Handloom and Textile should keep pushing the handloom weavers to apply ‘Handloom Mark’ sticker on their products. These stickers are easily available in their departments,” Baruah added.
 
The association also stressed the need for constituting ‘silk yarn banks’ for traditional silk items made by Sualkuchi handloom weavers.  (KNN)