Production of Mysore silk sarees has come to a halt after employees of the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) launched a protest over fears of losing their workplace land.
Operations at the KSIC mother unit in T. Narsipur have been completely stalled. The disruption has triggered a cascading shutdown in weaving units in Mysuru and Channapatna.
The agitation began on Saturday when 192 employees at the raw silk yarn reeling unit in T. Narsipur stopped work. Workers fear that the five-acre land housing the unit will be handed over to the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports for the construction of a stadium.
By Wednesday, the protest widened. Nearly 900 employees from weaving units — around 700 in Mysuru and 200 in Channapatna — halted saree production in solidarity.
All three groups are now staging a joint protest near the KSIC filature at T. Narsipur. They are demanding that the land be retained for silk operations and that the reeling unit be protected.
KSIC Managing Director Zehera Naseem and Sericulture Department Secretary R. Girish visited the protest site and appealed to workers to resume production.
However, employees have said they will not return to work until Chief Minister Siddaramaiah personally intervenes and resolves the issue.
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Published By:
Nitish Singh
Published On:
Feb 27, 2026 01:07 IST
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