Lok Sabha Question No. 4785 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-30
Subject: Conference of Women Artisans
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, BHARATENDRA SINGH, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4785 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.03.2017

## CONFERENCE OF WOMEN ARTISANS

## 4785. SMT. SUPRIYA SULE:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

KUNWAR BHARATENDRA:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINGH SHANKARRAO:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंरी

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has organized conference of women artisans/weavers at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi recently and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the major issues discussed in the conference and the outcome thereof;
- (c) The steps taken to achieve the aims and objectives of the conferences;
- (d) whether the Government has taken any steps to encourage women artisans/weavers to become self-reliant and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) The steps taken/being taken by the Government to empower women weavers in the country?

## उत्तर

## ANSWER वस्त्र      मंरी (श्री         )

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES (SHRI AJAY TAMTA)

(a): Yes, Madam. Government has organized a conference of women  artisans/weavers at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 8 th March, 2017.

(b) to (e): On the occasion of International Women's Day, during the conference Hon'ble Minister of Textiles  discussed  conferring  of  special  National  Awards  on  handicrafts  artisans,  Mudra  loans  to women handloom weavers across the country need to launch a national wide campaign to eliminate the  exploitative  and  unhygienic  practices  of  thigh  reeling  in  India  and  problems  faced  by  women artisans in the country.  The Minister also interacted with women beneficiaries of various schemes of the Ministry, at nine different locations across the country, through video conferencing:-

- (i) A  new  category  awards  'Kamaladevi  Chattopadhya  National  Award' specially  for  women handloom weavers and handicrafts artisans was announced.
- (ii) Buniyaad Reeling Machines were distributed to woman silk reelers to put an end to unhygienic and inhuman practice of the high reeling.
- (iii) 'Handloom  Weaver  MUDRA  Portal' was  launched  which  will  enable  quick  transfer  of  margin money and interest subvention amount.
- (iv) Three Scheduled Artisans Cluster Projects and two Scheduled Tribe Artisans Cluster Projects were taken up mainly for women  beneficiaries in Madhubani  Painting, Embroidery  craft and Embroidery with mirror work craft.
- (v) Memorandums of Undertaking was signed on the occasion, between the Development Commissioner (Handlooms) and Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles and  National  Backward  Classes  Finance  and  Development  Corporation  (NBCFDC)  under  the Ministry of  Social Justice and Empowerment, with the main objective of increasing earnings of handloom weavers artisans and artisans belonging to backward classes, who work in the handloom and  handicrafts sectors. NBCFDC  has  been  sanctioned  11  clusters  at  a  project  cost  of Rs.1,37,50,000/- .

******