Question

what is the initiative taken by the weavers now to protect their interests?

Answer 1

The Government is aware that the stiff competition from powerloom and mill sector, availability of cheaper imported fabrics, choked credit lines and high cost of credit, changing consumer preferences, alternative employment opportunities and economic liberalization has threatened the vibrancy of handloom sector. The Government of India has been following a policy of promotion and encouraging the handloom sector through a number of programmes and schemes. Due to various policy initiatives and scheme interventions like cluster approach, aggressive marketing initiative, subsidized yarn and credit, skill upgradation, design interventions, technological improvements and social welfare measures, the handloom sector, despite reduction in number of handlooms and handloom weavers, has sustained the handloom cloth production level and the income level of weavers in many clusters/parts of the country has improved. Therefore, various policy interventions are helping the weavers to cope up with the changing situation.

For protection and promotion of handlooms, the Government has enacted the Handlooms (Reservation of Articles for Production) Act, 1985 wherein 11 textiles articles with certain technical specifications are reserved for exclusive production by handlooms. The Central and the State Governments are the implementing agencies for enforcement of the provisions of the Act in their respective jurisdiction. The Government of India coordinates with States and provides financial assistance to the State Governments for setting up of enforcement machinery at state level for effective implementation of the provisions of the Act. The Government has also promulgated Hank Yarn Obligation to ensure the availability of hank yarn to handloom sector and the implementation of fulfillment of hank yarn obligation by the spinning mills is being monitored by the office of Textile Commissioner. For violation of the provisions under Handlooms (Reservation of Articles for Production) Act, 1985 and Hank Yarn Obligation, FIRs are being regularly lodged against the violators. Further, Geographical Indications of the Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 provides legal protection to prevent unauthorized use of designs/ products registered under the Act by others. All the schemes for promotion and development of handloom sector of the office of Development Commissioner (Handlooms) are being implemented through the respective State Governments. For their effective implementation, the schemes are being reviewed/monitored by the officers of State Government and Central Government through field visits and periodical review and the progress has been found satisfactory.

The Government is aware that handloom weavers are facing stiff competition from powerloom and mill sector due to technological constraints and lower productivity of handlooms in comparison to powerlooms. For overall development of handloom sector and welfare of handloom weavers, the Government of India has been implementing various schemes. The details of schemes being implemented are as under:-

Integrated Handlooms Development Scheme provides need based inputs to clusters of 300 – 500 handlooms or Groups of 10 – 100 weavers for making them self sustainable by providing them financial assistance for margin money, new looms and accessories, skill upgradation, marketing opportunities and for construction of worksheds etc.

Marketing and Export Promotion Scheme provides platform to the weavers and their organizations to participate in the domestic as well as international trade events and sell their products directly to the buyers.

Handloom Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme: This comprises of two separate schemes viz. the Health Insurance Scheme (HIS) for providing Health Insurance to the Handloom weavers and Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana (MGBBY) for providing Life insurance cover in
case of natural/ accidental death, total/partial disability due to accident.


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