(a) whether a large number of workers are facing loss of employment due to the serious crisis in handloom and textile sector which provides employment to lakhs of workers;
(b) if so, the details of the steps taken by the Government to overcome the crisis; and
(c) the result achieved by the Government thereby?
MINISTER OF TEXTILES
(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)
(a) to (c): Handloom sector is an unorganized sector. As per third handloom census (2009-10), there are 43.31 lakh handloom weavers and allied workers from 27.83 lakh households across the country. No such information has been received from any state that large number of workers are facing loss of employment, due to the serious crisis in handloom sector. To improve the earning of handloom weavers/workers and sustainable development of the sector, the Ministry of Textiles, through various schemes and programmes, has adopted / focused, flexible and holistic approach by facilitating marketing of handloom products, infrastructure development, brand building and empowerment of weavers training and skill upgradation, infusion of new designs through design intervention as well as product diversification, technology upgradation, easy access to raw material at subsidized prices and easy credit flow at low interest rate etc., besides providing better health care and life insurance under welfare schemes. With these objectives, the following schemes are under implementation during 12th Plan:-
(i) National Handloom Development Programme
(ii) Handloom Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme
(iii) Yarn Supply Scheme
(iv) Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme.
Evaluation of these programmes has indicated improvement in earnings of beneficiary weavers.
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