HANDLOOM INDUSTRY 31 for the production of non-traditional handloom products, mainly furnishing fabrics. Mention can also be made of another government textile testing laboratory at Serampore, Hooghly-Besides, six advanced and 13 preliminary weaving centres attached to the district handloom development offices in the state impart regular training facilities in weaving and design to the weavers.22 (To be concluded) [The author is grateful to J\f Krishnaji and Sunil Munshifor their valuable suggestions on an earlier draft.] 1 Third Five Tear Plan, p 426. According to the industrial policy resolution of 1956 and the second five year plan, village and small industries were sought to be encouraged in order "to create immediate and parmanent employment on a large scale at relatively small capital cost, increase demand for consumer goods and simple producers' goods, facilitate mobilization of resources of capital and skill which might otherwise remain inadequately utilized and bring about integration of the develop" ment of these industries with the rural economy1'. 2 This committee, known as Karve committee, also recommended the promotion of traditional small enterprises and glorified, somewhat on Gapdhian lines, the self-employment virtue of small industries; Report of the Village and Small Scale Industries Committee, Delhi, Planning Commission, p 22. ! N Ghosal, "Rehabilitation of Handloom Industry in West Bengal", Industrial Situation in India, Vol IV, No.4, October 1975, p 141. 4 Ibid.pl4\. 5 Calculated from the unpublished figures furnished by the Textiles Committee's regional office, Calcutta. Detailed figures show that the amount of handloom products exported from West Bengal registered a steady growth from 12.94 million metres in 1970 to 22.24 million metres in 1976 while the total handloom exports through Calcutta port and airport were 31.4 million metres and 49,20 million metres respectively. For the same time"points, the corresponding exports of cotton handloom products from West Bengal were estimated to be 4.31 million metres in 1970 and 10.97 million metres in 1976. 6 Report of the Study Group to Review the Working of the Reserve Bank of India Scheme for Handloom Finance, New Delhi, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. 1978f p5. 7 Based on my field observations. For further information see A K Chakravarty. "Wages in Handloom Industry: West Bengal'*, Report on Regional Seminar on Handloom Weavers' Cooperative Union of India, mimeo, pp 122-124. 8 Ibid, p 123-124. The author identifies two types ofmahajan systems. In the first case, the mahajan lifts the finished products by paying the wage-earning weaver a fixed wage or bani per piece of product. In the second case, the wage-earner has to supply a fixed number of products to the mahajan at a contracted rate within an agreed period, say three to five monthts. The contract rate is agreed upon by the mahajan and wage-earners on the basis of rate of yarn and wage rate prevailing on the day of agreement. The rate is final for the fixed time period and hence does not vary with fluctuations in the yarn and wage market. 9 Report of the Fact-Finding Committee (Handloom and Mills), 1942, p 71. 10 Ibid, p 72. 11 Ibid, pp 79-80. 13 Ibid, p 137. 18 The society was registered under the Bengal Co-operative Societies Act in 1954,