New Delhi, July 25 (UNI) According to the Fourth All India Handloom Census 2019-20, there are 31.45 lakh households across the country consisting of 35.22 lakh handloom weavers and allied workers in the country, Union Minister of Textiles, Giriraj Singh told the Rajya Sabha.
“For the development of handlooms and the well-being of weavers, the Ministry of Textiles is implementing two significant schemes – National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) and Raw Material Supply Scheme (RMSS). From 2020–21 to 2024–25, Rs1,516 crore was sanctioned and Rs1,480.71 crore was released under NHDP and RMSS,” the minister said in a written reply.
He also stated that the handloom industry is still mostly unorganized and the Government does not offer direct employment to the weavers. Rather, traditional skill-based jobs still sustain livelihood in this industry.
The government schemes provide monetary aid for procurement of raw materials, improved looms, solar lights, construction of worksheds, skill upgradation, innovation in product and design, marketing, concessional loan facility under the MUDRA scheme, and social security benefits.
“Impact assessments are carried out by the government before they extend or introduce new schemes. The schemes being implemented now were developed after third-party evaluations of earlier schemes and are from 2021-22 to 2025–26,” the minister said.
