(a) Whether the National Institute of Fashion Technology has worked out plans to help the handloom weavers with better designs and market;
(b) if so, the details of the understanding made especially with APCO; and
(c) the interest shown by the weavers to involve with the ideas of NIFT?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES (SHRI V.DHANANJAYA KUMAR)
(a) to (c) Yes Sir. The NIFT is providing trends and forecasts for the National Centre for Textile Design to enable weavers to use them to better respond to the needs and demands of the market and to prepare them for the same. The Government of Andhra Pradesh, in the context of revival of Handloom Sector in the State in general and with reference to APCO in particular, had requested NIFT, Hyderabad to study the problems confronted by the handloom and powerloom sectors in the State and indicate the strategy for revival. Accordingly, a comprehensive report has been prepared and submitted to the State Government.