Over 1.15 lakh people get employment directly and indirectly through the 11,000 silver anklet units in Salem district.
| Photo Credit: E. LAKSHMI NARAYANAN
The silver anklet manufacturers here said that they got only fewer orders this year, and the elections in five States impacted their business this Deepavali.
In Salem district, over 1.15 lakh people get employment directly and indirectly through the 11,000 silver anklet units. The silver anklets manufactured in Salem are supplied to jewellery shops in various States, including Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
In Salem Corporation limits alone, thousands of silver anklet units are functioning at Sivathapuram, Maniyanoor, Shevapet, Nethimedu, Pallapatti, Panankadu, Seelanaickenpatti, Kondalampatti, Thiruvagoundanur, and Gugai. During festival seasons like Deepavali and Pongal, these units used to get more orders from the jewellery shops. But for this year’s Deepavali festival, silver anklet units got fewer orders.
Salem Silver Anklet Manufacturers Handicraft Welfare Association president C. Sree Anandharajan said that during Deepavali season, they used to get around 25,000 to 50,000 orders, and usually, they got around 10,000 orders a month. But due to the model code of conduct imposed in Telangana and four other States, jewellery shops did not het orders for Deepavali.
“To reach many north Indian States, we have to pass through Telangana. But officials are seizing silver anklets even though they have proper receipts. So, the orders have drastically reduced, and we received less than 10,000 orders this Deepavali,” he said.
Around 60,000 workers did not get jobs this festival season, and most of the silver anklets units could not provide bonus to their workers. “We appeal to the Election Commission to stop seizing silver anklets that have bills,” Mr. Anandharajan added.