The Minister of Textiles,
Shri Kashiram Rana, has said that a Core Group has been set up
to enable adequate and timely flow of credit to the handloom sector.
Addressing the meeting of the All India Handloom Board here today,
Shri Rana said that NABARD would have to augment the availability
of credit to the sector to the desired level. The Development
Commissioner for Handlooms has already started discussions with
RBI, NABARD, leading commercial and cooperative banks in this
direction, he added.
Shri Rana said that
the 10th Plan outlay for the various schemes in the
handloom sector has been enhanced to Rs.625 crore from Rs.514.46
crore during the 9th Plan. The welfare schemes like
Workshed-cum- Housing scheme, Thrift Fund scheme, Health Package
scheme and Insurance scheme, enable the weavers to have better
dwelling units, working environment, sound infrastructure and
basic amenities to safeguard the health of the weavers and to
cover them and their families from natural calamities. A special
contributory insurance scheme for covering one million weavers
would be launched soon, he added.
The Textile Minister
said that a massive programme of skill upgradation with an outlay
of Rs.125 crore would be launched shortly, as announced by the
Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech. He added that the
Deen Dayal Hathkargha Protsahan Yojana aimed at extending
financial assistance in the handloom sector from pre-loom, on-loom
to post-loom activities. Out of the total outlay of Rs.625 crore
during the 10th Plan, an outlay of Rs.310 crore has
been earmarked exclusively for the scheme. He, however, lamented
that many of the States had not come forward to extend the benefits
to the weavers despite repeated reminders.
Shri Rana said that
a one-time special rebate scheme for sale of handloom fabrics
with a provision of Rs.100 crore was under finalisation. This
scheme is aimed at liquidating handloom stocks. The handloom cloth
production crossed 7500 million square metres. During 2001-02,
handloom exports reached a level of Rs.2065 crore . During April-August
2002, handloom exports reached Rs.1102.34 crore as against Rs.837.53
crore, registering an increase by 31.62 per cent in Rupee terms
and 26.63 per cent in US dollar terms over in the corresponding
period last year.
