Question : Adverse Affect of COVID on Textile Industry

(a) whether COVID has adversely affected the textile including cotton, handloom, powerloom and weaving industry in the country;

(b) if so, whether it is also fact that many such units of handloom and weaving industry are either closed down or are on the verge of closure, if so, the details thereof indicating the profit/losses suffered by textile units, State-wise;

(c) whether the Government is making any efforts to revive such small units, if so, the details thereof indicating the assistance provided to the said units;

(d) the schemes under which this assistance is being provided;

(e) the funds provided to powerlooms in Uttar Pradesh; and

(f) the production of cotton textile during 2020-21, month-wise?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TEXTILES
(SMT. DARSHANA JARDOSH)

(a) & (b): The global pandemic of Covid-19 has affected adversely the textile sector such as restriction on social gathering, migration of laborers, disruption of supply chain, thus affecting all the stakeholders from farmers to traders/exporters in the value chain. However, the situation improved with time and production and exports have looked up. The handloom sector is an unorganized sector with handloom weavers scattered across rural areas in the country. Due to its unorganized nature, centralized data about units of handloom closed down or are on the verge of closure is not available.

(c) & (d): The Government of India is implementing following schemes for development of handlooms and welfare of weavers:

1. National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP);
2. Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS);
3. Handloom Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (HWCWS);
4. Yarn Supply Scheme(YSS);

Under the above schemes, financial assistance is provided to the eligible agencies for raw materials, purchase of looms and accessories, design innovation, product diversification, infrastructure development, skill upgradation, lighting units, marketing of textile products in domestic as well as overseas markets and loan at concessional rates.

(e): During the last seven years (2014-15 to 2020-21), the funds released to Powerloom Units of Uttar Pradesh, on the basis of proposals received, is as below:
In-situ-Upgradation Scheme : Rs. 3,01,67,875
Yarn Bank : Rs. 1,80,00,000
Total : Rs. 4,81,67,875

(f): Because of unorganized nature of textile sector, data of cotton textile production is not available. However, the estimated production data on cotton yarn month wise for the year 2020-21 is given below:
Estimated Production for Cotton Yarn during 2020-21(Provisional)
(Mn.kg.)
Apr20-Jun20 Jul-20 Aug-20 Sep-20 Oct-20 Nov-20 Dec-20 Jan-21 Feb-21 Mar.21 Total
761.58 285.08 293.54 307.54 309.22 312.57 340.87 339.8 336.01 338.89 3625.1
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