(a) whether the Government have announced the new Textile Import Policy;
(b) if so, the comprehensive details thereof;
(c) whether the Government are facing the opposition from the handloom weavers in the country on account of the said new policy;
(d) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefore; and
(e) the remedial measures taken/being taken in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES ( SHRI V. DHANANJAY KUMAR )
(a) & (b) The Government have not announced any new Textile Import Policy. However, on the basis of the Report submitted by Expert Committee (Sathyam Committee), Government has recently formulated and announced the National Textile Policy 2000 which aims at strengthening the textile industry to make it globally competitive, and for this purpose lays down objectives and specific targets, and defines the thrust areas for focused attention. It proposes measures and programmes for facilitating and promoting, inter alia, technological upgradation of all manufacturing segments of the industry; increase in the raw material base; improvement in productivity and quality; value added production in the handloom industry, and modernization of the weak areas of weaving, processing and garment making.
(c) to (e) As regards Handloom sector, the policy has as one of its objectives, the endeavour to strengthen and encourage handloom industry to produce value added item and assist the industry to forge joint ventures to secure global market. Recognizing the sector`s heritage, tradition of excellent craftsmanship, inherent strengths like flexibility, innovation, low requirement of capital, diversity of design and its importance to creation of employment, the Policy requires continued to priority to the sector along with steps to promote and develop its exclusiveness for the global market through upgradation of skills of weavers, comprehensive welfare measures and effective support systems for research and development, design inputs and marketing linkages. The Policy also asks for review, keeping in mind the needs of the handloom weavers, of the implementation of the Hank Yarn Obligation Order and the Reservation Order issued under the Handloom (Reservation of Articles for Production) Act, 1985.
The Policy has been drawn up taking into account the recommendations contained in the Report of the Expert Group set up under the Chairmanship of Shri Sathyam for review of the sector in which one of the recommendations was the withdrawal of the Hank Yarn Obligation Order and the repeal of the Handloom Reservation Act. Handloom weavers had expressed apprehensions that these recommendations might be accepted, and there were some misgivings in this regard. However, after the Policy was announced and the first review, as per the Policy directive, of these two pieces of legislation, with the status quo was continued for the time being , it is gauged that much of the apprehension is allayed.