Non-farm Sector Enterprises and Employment
153
of the clusters in terms of increased market
share and ensuring increased productiv-
ity by higher unit value realisation of the
products. The Scheme seeks to meet the
discerning and changing market demands
both at the domestic and at the interna-
tional level and raise living standards of the
weavers. The facilities are to be set up in six
mega handloom clusters. To provide skills,
upgradation, design and technological sup-
port to handloomweavers and to liaise with
the state governments, a scheme to support
the operations of weavers’ service centers is
also in pipeline.
The GoI has schemes for consolidation of
existing clusters, setting up of new clusters
and support to smaller groups of weavers.
Two new mega
4
handloom clusters (with
15,000 looms each) are to be started during
the current year in Bihar and Tamil Nadu. In
marketing apart fromparticipation in inter-
national fairs and buyer–sellermeets abroad,
several domestic marketing campaigns are
carried out. A marketing complex in Delhi
has been completed which will provide
outlet for handloom fabrics from different
parts of the country. A health insurance for
weavers which covered 17.5 lakh weavers
till September 2014 has been discontinued
from 1 October 2014 and the insurance
scheme is expected to be now carried out
by Ministry of Health. A life and accident
insurance scheme covers 1.90 lakh weavers.
Apart from the Development Commissioner
(Handlooms), other agencies such as Silk
Board also provide support to weavers.
The budget allocations show a declin-
ing tendency (Table 7.9). Some of the older
schemes do not find any funding support.
The weavers’ debt waiver scheme does not
find any allocation in this year’s budget. Even
allocation to thewelfare schemewhich is basi-
cally for insurance of the weavers has been
drastically cut. The budget allocations indicate
Table 7.9:
Budget allocations for handlooms sector
(in
`
millions)
Scheme
2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16
National Handloom Development Programme
2,880.0 1,250.0
Comprehensive Handloom Development Scheme
1,070.0
–
Integrated Handloom Development Scheme (CSS) 1,700.0
Revival reforms and restructuring package for
handlooms (CSS)
2,2050.0 1,570.0
Market and Export Promotion Scheme (CSS)
480.0
Diversified Handloom Development Scheme
200.0
Weaver Service Centre
325.0 350.0
330.0
380.0
Handloom Weavers Comprehensive Welfare
Scheme
1,050.0 650.0
550.0
150.0
Mill Gate Price Scheme
3,500.0 965.0 1,250.0 1,400.0
Scheme for grant of special rebate
0.10
0.10
Trade Facilitation Centre and Crafts Museum
800.0
Others
300.0 329.9
375.0
420.0
CHCDS – Handloom Mega Cluster
260.0
260.0
66.0
Lump sum provision for Northeast and Sikkim
570.0
400.0
Grand Total
29,605.0 5,195.0 6,215.1 4,866.0
Source:
Web pages of Development Commissioner, Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles, GoI.
Branding process
: The following entities will
be eligible to apply for ‘India Handloom’ brand
registration:
Genuine firms/institutions dealingwith produc-
tion of handloom fabrics including: Primary
HandloomCooperative Societies; SHGs, consor-
tia, producer companies, Joint Liability Groups
(JLGs); and weaver entrepreneurs.
Producers of garments and made-ups with the
condition that they will use ‘India Handloom’
branded fabric and also comply with addi-
tional quality parameters regarding stitching,
standard sizes etc., as may be laid down by the
Development Commissioner for Handlooms.
Source:
Website of Development Commissioner
Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles, GoI.
4
Under the scheme, components like conducting
Diagnostic Study, formulationof DetailedProject Report
(DPR), engaging Designer, Product Development,
Corpus for rawmaterial, Worksheds (for BPL weavers),
Skill upgradation etc. are fully funded by GoI, while
the components like Technology upgradation, Design
Studio, including the Computer Aided Design System,
Marketing Complex, Value Addition (setting up of
garment unit), Dye House, Common Infrastructure,
Publicity etc., are part-funded by the GoI.
