Question : Weaver Service Centres

(a) the number of Weaver Service Centres operational in various States under different handloom development schemes, State-wise;

(b) the objectives for setting up Weaver Service Centres along with the funds sanctioned and utilized during the last three years and current year by various States/UT;

(c) whether the Government is aware of reasons as to why certain Weaver Service Centres have not been working satisfactorily in certain States;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Union Government for making the working of the said centres more effective;

(e) whether the Government has constituted any monitoring Committee to monitor the functioning of Weavers Service Centres, if so, the number of problems of weavers solved by the Monitoring Committee in the country, State/UT-wise;

(f) the other steps taken by the Government to strengthen the functioning of Weaver Service Centres in the country?

MINISTER OF TEXTILES
(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a): 28 Weavers’ Service Centres (WSCs) are functioning across the country. The state-wise location of these WSCs are given separately in a statement placed at Annexure-I.

(b): The objectives for setting up of these WSCs are to meet the technical requirements of the handloom weavers, handloom co-operatives/Corporations & other manufacturers, exporters, designers, etc. in terms of providing new designs, woven textures/structures/patterns, product development/ diversifications, dyeing of yarn with proper shade matching, printing of fabric with new designs, etc. Besides providing technical services, these centres also conduct in-house training programs in designing, weaving and dyeing/printing to the weavers, students or anyone who is interested to undergo short-term training for upgradation of technical skills. The gist of other activities of the centres is given below:-

• Implementing various schemes in handloom sector of the Government of India and providing assistance and interaction with State Governments, handloom agencies such as Apex and primary co-operatives, State and private undertakings dealing in handlooms.
• To provide training to the handloom weavers covered under “Block Level Cluster” Scheme for their skill upgradation for development of new samples according to the latest market trends along with monitoring regarding implementation.
• Providing market support by arranging interface between designers, producers and buyers which includes execution of sample orders.
• Preserving and documenting traditional skills and revival of traditional skills and revival of traditional designs for production and marketing.
• Arranging exhibitions, seminars, workshops focusing on new and improved designs, equipments and processing techniques.
• Solving problems arising in pre-loom, loom and post loom processes and technologies.
• Improving techniques of processing.
• Product development to evolve more marketable products by interaction between expertise available in the fields of weaving, designing and processing.
• Improving weaving techniques and accessories and appliances used in weaving.
• Providing assistance to weavers (handloom pockets) which are located far away from Centres and have no access to WSCs by deputing the staff of WSC on a particular day in a month.
• The funds sanctioned and utilized during the last three years and current year by these WSCs are separately placed at Annexure-II.

(c) to (f) : During the official tours, WSCs are inspected by Senior Officers from time to time. Zonal Directors of each Zone monitor the activities of Weaver Service Centres under their respective Zones for effective functioning. They conduct review of on-going schemes, liaise with State Handloom Departments and manage resources based on field requirement.

An Expert Committee was constituted with the following members for upgrading the WSCs to serve the handloom sector considering its present needs:-

1. Ms. Laila Tyabji, Designer and founder of Dastkar, New Delhi.
2. Ms. Jaya Jaitley, Founder & President of Dastkari Haat Samiti, New Delhi.
3. Mr. Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Designer, Kolkata.
4. Mr. Gaurang Shah, Designer, Hyderabad.
5. Ms. Anavila Misra, Designer, Mumbai.

A Bunkar Mitra-Handloom Helpline Centre was launched by Minister of Textiles on 4th January, 2017, in which, professional queries of weavers are being answered by the experts in the field thereby solving technical issues/problems of weavers. As on May, 2019, a total of 25,858 grievances were received through this helpline and all the grievances were resolved. To strengthen the functioning of WSCs, following steps are taken:-

- Vacant posts of WSCs are filled.
- Infrastructure, including building and machineries are upgraded.
- MoUs are signed between Designers and WSCs for product development and marketing.
- Design and Resource Centres are set up in certain WSCs to showcase and share their designs with the Weavers, help develop new designs and serve as a Resource Centre for best designs developed over a period of time.