ERODE: "During 2006-2007 financial year, 100 handloom clusters would be formed in the country at a cost of Rs. 50 crore. Of these, 10 clusters would be started in Tamil Nadu, including Thandampalayam and Appakudal in Erode district," said the Union Minister of State for Textiles, E.V.K.S. Elangovan, here on Friday.

He was distributing `Handloom Mark', developed by the Textile Committee of India for Handloom Weavers' Cooperatives in the district. The Union Minister said the handloom industry would benefit by the clusters and all infrastructure had been developed with the funds granted by the Union Government.

Already, 459 handloom clusters were functioning in the country. During 2004-2005, 57,222 lakh square metres of handloom cloth were produced. For the benefit of the weavers' cooperatives, the Union Textile Ministry had introduced the `Handloom Mark' system.

A similar scheme would be introduced for handloom development.

He said under the Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance the handlooms would be protected and schemes would be introduced for improving the living conditions of the handloom weavers.

He said for the benefit of handloom weavers11 items were reserved for handloom production, yarn was being supplied at a subsidised rate, mill gate price scheme was introduced besides providing design development and training programme for handloom weavers, including cooperatives.

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