The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Blueprint ready to help two lakh weavers

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Sunday, Dec 09, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Blueprint ready to help two lakh weavers

N. Anand

Common facility centres will be created and machines upgraded
Next year, 2,100 weavers will be chosen for skill upgrade that will cost the exchequer Rs. 2 crore

CHENNAI: The Commissionerate of Handlooms and Textiles has drawn up a blueprint for helping over two lakh weavers in 25 mini-clusters during 2008. The assistance involved is Rs 108 crore.

The Centre has recently granted approval for setting up 25 mini-clusters in the State under the Integrated Handloom Development Scheme.

These clusters will have 350-500 weavers each. On an average, each will be granted Rs. 60 lakh, spread over three years. The funds will be used for creation of common facility centres, upgrade of handloom machines and skills of weavers, setting up of yarn banks and providing looms accessories.

“Since everyone wouldn’t need the same kind of assistance, we have asked other weavers to form groups of 20 members each. There are 652 groups in the State that require work sheds, skill up-gradation and basic inputs. They require financial assistance of Rs 55.68 crore for the next year,” Commissioner for Handlooms and Textiles M.R. Mohan told The Hindu.

Next year, 2,100 weavers would be chosen for skill upgrade . The fund would be used for procuring raw material, and for meeting the training, wages and loom costs.

Besides, work-sheds will be constructed for 7,700 weavers at a cost of Rs.19.27 crore. The Commissionerate would also provide Rs. 33 crore marketing incentives to over two lakh weavers.

“Funding these projects is not at all difficult, since some of them are entirely funded by the government. For instance, the cluster approach programme needs Rs. 17.63 crore, 50 per cent of which will come from the Textiles Ministry and the rest from the State Government.

As for the group approach, the contribution from the Centre is 70 per cent, while the State chips in with 20 per cent and weavers will contribute 10 per cent,” Mr. Mohan said.

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