Question : TRAINING TO TEXTILE WORKERS

(a) whether the Government has noticed the shortage of skilled manpower in the textile industry;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government proposes or any suggestions have been made to link the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) with the textile sector to impart training to the workers;

(d) if so, the details thereof along with the allocation of funds/targets set under the scheme; and

(e) the steps taken by the Government to impart training and generate more employment in the textile sector?

MINISTER OF TEXTILES (DR. KAVURU SAMBASIVA RAO)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 232 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.08.2013 REGARDING TRAINING OF TEXTILE WORKERS ASKED BY SHRI ANAND PRAKASH PRANJPE & SHRI A. GANESHAMURTHI.

(a) & (b): As per National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) report on ‘Human Resource and Skill Requirements in the Textiles Sector (2022)’ brought out in 2009, the overall employment in the Textiles and Clothing Sector would increase from about 33-35 million in 2008 to about 60-62 million by 2022. This would translate to an incremental human resource requirement of about 25 million persons.

(c) & (d): A proposal was sent to Department of Rural Development for considering Handloom Weaving activity as one of the eligible activities under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). However, the same was not agreed to by Ministry of Rural Development on the ground that MNREGA targets the unskilled workers/ activities whereas Handloom Weaving activity is a self-employment and skilled activity. Subsequently, the Ministry of Rural Development has again been requested for linking Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS) with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) as the rural workers would become skilled and also get placed in textile and related sector which will help reduce the unemployment and accelerate growth of economy.

(e): To fulfill the needs of skilled manpower in the textile and related sector, the Ministry of Textiles launched the Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS) in 2010 on pilot basis for 2 years. During pilot phase, 29 projects with an outlay of Rs.585.52 crore targeting 5.76 lakh trainees were sanctioned. So far, around 1.55 lakh persons have been trained under the scheme. The Cabinet Committee on Skill Development in its meeting on 22.8.2013 has approved continuation and expansion of ISDS during 12th Plan to train 15 lakh persons with an outlay of Rs.1900 crore.