SAREE SAGA: The Yerwada Central Jail will soon begin taking orders for famous silk sarees
The Yerwada Central Jail in Pune will soon begin taking orders from people for paithani sarees that Maharashtra is famous for. These will be woven by jail inmates, who will be able to use this training to gain employment after their release.
The initiative is aimed at preventing the inmates from relapsing after release. The Nashik Central Prison, which was the first to set up a Paithani weaving project, is also looking at expanding the facility to meet the rising orders.
Swati Sathe, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Prisons, said they had two handlooms in the Yerwada jail and were planning to install two more. "We had installed a loom a year ago. It is being operated by two prisoners. The demand is so huge that we have stopped taking further orders. At present, around 25 orders are pending," added Sathe, stating the second loom was installed recently. Currently, orders from only the jail staff are being accepted.
"Some Paithani sarees available in the market may be duplicates or woven on machines. Our product is genuine and cheaper due to low labour costs," she explained. Prisoners are paid Rs 61 per day.
"We are planning to install two more looms within two months. More inmates will also be trained by qualified instructors," said Sathe, adding that orders will be opened up for common people soon.
The cost of each sarees will vary between Rs 16,000-18,000 depending on the price of silk, colour, border and design selected. Buyers will have to register their orders in the jail showroom.
The Nashik Central Jail was the first to initiate the manufacturing of Paithani sarees. The first saree was spun in January 2014 by two inmates who were weavers at Yeola, a town famous for the production of this saree. Around 20 to 24 Paithanis are manufactured annually, said Pallavi Kadam, senior jailor, Nashik Central Prison, adding that each Paithani saree costs around Rs 10,000. The correctional facility saw its 100th saree being woven recently.
"We receive a huge number of inquiries. Around 10 orders are pending even today. We want to train more prisoners in weaving Paithanis but the problem is lack of idle capacity on the loom, which is constantly in use. Hence, we may have to install a new loom to train new recruits in the trade," she added.
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