Lok Sabha Question No. 490 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-06
Subject: Scholarship provided to the Children of Handloom Workers
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: C. R. Patil, P.P. Chaudhary, Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Dushyant Singh, Sangamlal Kadedin Gupta

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 490

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2023

## SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDED TO THE CHILDREN OF HANDLOOM WORKERS

490. SHRI C.R. PATIL:

SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY:

SHRI PRATAP CHANDRA SARANGI:

SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

SHRI SANGAM LAL GUPTA:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंत्री

be pleased to state :

- (a) the details of the scholarship provided to handloom workers' children till 2023 under the Handloom Weavers Welfare component of the said scheme;
- (b) the State-wise details of the beneficiaries for the scholarship to children of Handloom weaver along with the steps being taken by the Government to enhance the beneficiaries
- (c) whether the Government is planning to extend this kind of scholarship to the children of Handicraft workers also and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government provides assistance to handloom weavers for export of their products under the said scheme and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the details of the number of expos, events, craft melas etc. that have been organised in the States of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha; and
- (f) the details of the total Mega and Small Handloom Clusters identified in the States of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha especially in the Navsari, Pratapgarh, Pali and Balasore parliamentary constituencies respectively?

## उत्तर

ANSWER

## वस्त्र राज् य मंत्री ( श्रीमती दर्शना जरदोर् )

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES (SMT. DARSHANA JARDOSH)

- (a) & (b): Ministry  of  Textiles,  Government  of  India  is  providing  financial  support  as  scholarship maximum upto Rs. 2 lakh per annum per child (upto 2 children) to handloom weavers/workers' children for study in Diploma/Under Graduate/Post Graduate courses of recognized Textiles Institutions under Handloom Weavers' Welfare, a component of National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP). This initiative was introduced in October, 2021. Since inception of the scheme component, an amount of Rs.35.13 lakh as scholarship has been sanctioned/released to 64 handloom weavers/workers' children across the country. State-wise details of the beneficiaries covered under the scholarship is as follows:

| Sl. No.   | Name of State   |   Total no. of beneficiaries |
|-----------|-----------------|------------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh  |                            1 |
| 2         | Gujarat         |                            1 |
| 3         | Karnataka       |                           11 |
| 4         | Madhya Pradesh  |                            2 |
| 5         | Maharashtra     |                            1 |
| 6         | Tamil Nadu      |                           12 |
| 7         | Telangana       |                            6 |
| 8         | Uttar Pradesh   |                           30 |
|           | Total           |                           64 |

Government  of  India  is  regularly  organizing  awareness  camps/chaupals  with  the  close coordination  of  State  Government  concerned  for  enhancing  the  beneficiaries  of  handloom schemes  including  Scholarship  to  handloom  weavers/workers'  children  throughout  the country.

- (c): No  such  provision  is  available  under  the  existing  Handicraft  scheme  towards  providing scholarship to children of handicraft artisans.
- (d): To promote exports of handloom products, Handloom Export Promotion Council, National Handloom Development Corporation and Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts participate/organize International Fairs/Events. The details are as under:
- (e): The  State-wise  details  of  number  of  handloom  expos,  craft  melas  etc.  sanctioned  during 2020-21 to 2023-24 (upto 30.11.2023) for Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha are as follows:
- (f): Ministry of Textiles, Government of India is providing need based financial assistance upto Rs.30.00  crore  per  cluster  under  Mega  Cluster  Development  Programme  and  upto  Rs.2.00  crore  per cluster under Small Cluster Development Programme towards implementation of various interventions such as product and design development, construction of workshed, upgraded looms and accessories, lighting units, marketing support etc. on receipt of viable proposals from State/UT Governments. Total 249 number of Small Cluster Development Programmes have been financially assisted from 2020-21 to 2023-24  (upto  30.11.2023)  across  the  country.  However,  State-wise  details  of  the  Small  Cluster Development Programmes financially assisted from 2020-21 to 2023-24 (upto 30.11.2023) in respect of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha are as under:-

| Financial Year            |   Number of events (Physical/ Virtual) |   Number of participants |
|---------------------------|----------------------------------------|--------------------------|
| 2020-21                   |                                     12 |                      375 |
| 2021-22                   |                                     14 |                      317 |
| 2022-23                   |                                     20 |                      470 |
| 2023-24 (upto 30.11.2023) |                                      6 |                      222 |

|   Sl. No. | Name of State   |   Total number of events |
|-----------|-----------------|--------------------------|
|         1 | Gujarat         |                        7 |
|         2 | Uttar Pradesh   |                       50 |
|         3 | Rajasthan       |                        8 |
|         4 | Odisha          |                       19 |

|   Sl. No. | Name of State   |   Total no. of clusters |
|-----------|-----------------|-------------------------|
|         1 | Gujarat         |                      04 |
|         2 | Uttar Pradesh   |                      28 |
|         3 | Rajasthan       |                      02 |
|         4 | Odisha          |                      04 |

No  complete  proposal  has  been  received  in  respect  of  Mega  and  Small  Handloom  Cluster  for  the Navsari District of Gujarat, Pratapgarh District of Uttar Pradesh, Pali District of Rajasthan and Balasore District of Odisha.

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