BENGALURU: Officials of Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) were left red-faced on Wednesday after hundreds of people who reached the outlets, expecting to buy silk sarees at discounted price on Independence Day, had to return empty-handed. The disappointed and irate crowd held demonstrations outside the KSIC showrooms on Wednesday.
While the people flocked showrooms based on an announcement by Sericulture Minister Sa Ra Mahesh — that a sale will be held on Independence day ahead of the main sale on Varamahalakshmi — they were shocked to find that the sale had been called off by KSIC. The special sale will now be held only on Varamahalakshmi, when sarees worth Rs 5,000 will be sold at Rs 4,000, provided the buyers come with their Aadhaar cards.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Vinaya G Murthy (56) said, “We have been waiting to buy the sarees from the last two months after we read about the offer in a newspaper. I spent `400 on a cab to reach here. It takes more than an hour to reach here, so I finished all my chores early and reached here for the purchase, only to know that the offer is postponed. How can the government do this? Are they making a fool out of us?”
Ganganna T (69), who had come all the way from Tumakuru after hearing about the offer, said, “My wife and I had first went to the KSIC showroom on KG road in the city, but they said the offer is postponed. Immediately, we rushed to the MG Road showroom, but even there we heard the same thing. Why should they fool people with such false promises? If they aren’t able to give discounts, they shouldn’t have made the promise at all.”
Several reasons for calling off the sale were doing the rounds on Wednesday. One of the shop officials, speaking to TNIE, said the offer is postponed due to Urban Local Bodies (ULB) election. “Those who came today along with Aadhaar cards to purchase sarees, have been given a special token, and on a notified day, they can come and purchase at the promised offer,” he said.
By afternoon, even this token system was withdrawn. Sridevamma (62) said, “I was a bit late in reaching the shop so I requested for the token at least. But they said the time for issuing token was also over. I have come from Magadi. Who postponed the offer, and who decided the time for issuing the token, I don’t know...but how can the government cheat people like this? Will the people believe them again?”
Sericulture Minister Sa Ra Mahesh confirmed that the sale had to be postponed because of the ULB elections code of conduct.