Lok Sabha Question No. 4300 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-19
Subject: Handloom Weavers
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: Smt. Bharti Pardhi, Shri Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant

## HANDLOOM WEAVERS

4300. SMT. BHARTI PARDHI: SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT: SHRI BHAUSAHEB RAJARAM WAKCHAURE:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंत्री be pleased to state :

- (a)  the  details  of  handloom  weavers  at  present,  State  and  district-wise  along  with  the  steps  taken  by  the Government for their upliftment;
- (b)  the  schemes  currently  being  implemented  by  the  Government  to  increase  the  income  of  handloom weavers;
- (c)  whether  the  handloom  weavers  are  not  able  to  avail  the  benefits  of  the  said  schemes  in  absence  of identity cards;
- (d) if so, the reasons therefor and the steps taken by the Government to improve the situation and provide identity cards to handloom weavers at the earliest;
- (e) whether there is a lot of delay in issuing identity cards to handloom weavers in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, if so, the reasons therefor;
- (f)  the  manner in which the Government is addressing the issues that prevent weavers from availing the benefits of the said schemes in the absence of the said identity card; and
- (g)  the  percentage  of  eligible  weavers  currently  covered  under  social  security  schemes  like  Mahatma Gandhi  Bunkar  Bima  Yojana,  Pradhan  Mantri  Jeevan  Jyoti  Bima  Yojana  and  Pradhan  Mantri  Suraksha Bima Yojana in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh?

## उत्तर

ANSWER

## वस्त्र राज्  य मंत्री ( श्री पबित्र मार्घेररटा

## )

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES (SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA)

(a)&(b): According  to  Fourth  All  India  Handloom  Census  2019-20  report,  there  are  26,73,891 handloom weavers and 8,48,621 allied workers in handloom sector across the country. Details for State/UTwise number of handloom weavers and allied workers in handloom sector are annexed as Annexure-1.

To increase the income of handloom weavers and for their upliftment, Ministry of Textiles is implementing following schemes across the country:

1. National Handloom Development Programme
2. Raw Material Supply Scheme

Under  the  National  Handloom  Development  Programme,  financial  assistance  is  provided  to  eligible handloom  agencies/weavers  for  procurement  of  upgraded  looms  &  accessories,  solar  lighting  units, construction of workshed, product & design development, technical and common infrastructure, marketing support for handloom products in domestic/overseas markets, concessional loans under weavers' MUDRA scheme and social security etc.

Under the Raw Material supply Scheme, the Ministry provides transport subsidy for transportation of yarn to the doorstep of the beneficiaries and 15% Price Subsidy on Cotton Hank yarn, Domestic Silk, Woollen & Linen yarn and blended yarn of natural fibres.

(c)to(f): The  handloom  workers  enumerated  in  the  4 th All  India  Handloom  Census  have  been provided  either  Pehchan  card  or  enabled  downloading  e-pehchan  card  across  the  country  including Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. An online portal was launched on 28 the January 2025 for new registration (left out from the 4 th All India Handloom Census and new weavers and allied workers), editing the details of the existing weavers and downloading of e-pehchan cards. Based on the registration in the online portal, another 15,000 (Approx.) handloom workers have been approved for e-pehchan cards. Hence, addition/deletion, updation etc. is dynamic and continuous process.

- (g): Total  Number  of  handloom  weavers  and  allied  workers  enrolled  under  Mahatma  Gandhi  Bunkar Bima Yojana (MGBBY)/converged MGBBY, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are as follows:

| State       | Beneficiaries enrolled under MGBBY/converged MGBBY during 2014-15 to 2019-20   | Beneficiaries enrolled PMJJBY/PMSBY during 2021-22 to 2024-   | under   |
|-------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
| Maharashtra | 3,349                                                                          | 220                                                           |         |
| Madhya      | 1,827                                                                          | 1,746                                                         |         |
| Pradesh     |                                                                                |                                                               |         |

## Statement  referred  to  in  reply  of  part  (a)  &  (b)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  4300  for answer on 19.08.2025

## State/UT-wise number of handloom weavers and allied workers as per 4 th All India Handloom Census 2019-20

|    | SNStates/UTs                       | No. of handloom weavers   | No. of allied workers   | No. of total handloom workers   |
|----|------------------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------------|
| 1  | Andhra Pradesh                     | 1,27,662                  | 49,785                  | 1,77,447                        |
| 2  | Arunachal Pradesh                  | 77,600                    | 17,016                  | 94,616                          |
| 3  | Assam                              | 11,07,428                 | 1,76,453                | 12,83,881                       |
| 4  | Bihar                              | 7,216                     | 5,631                   | 12,847                          |
| 5  | Chhattisgarh                       | 14,077                    | 7,426                   | 21,503                          |
| 6  | Delhi                              | 3,236                     | 1,049                   | 4,285                           |
| 7  | Goa                                | 22                        | 4                       | 26                              |
| 8  | Gujarat                            | 10,179                    | 422                     | 10,601                          |
| 9  | Haryana                            | 14,414                    | 11,128                  | 25,542                          |
| 10 | Himachal Pradesh                   | 13,211                    | 477                     | 13,688                          |
| 11 | Jammu and Kashmir including Ladakh | 15,784                    | 7,544                   | 23,328                          |
| 12 | Jharkhand                          | 12,364                    | 10,133                  | 22,497                          |
| 13 | Karnataka                          | 27,175                    | 27,616                  | 54,791                          |
| 14 | Kerala                             | 15,480                    | 6,604                   | 22,084                          |
| 15 | Madhya Pradesh                     | 12,805                    | 5,267                   | 18,072                          |
| 16 | Maharashtra                        | 2,882                     | 627                     | 3,509                           |
| 17 | Manipur                            | 2,12,481                  | 12,203                  | 2,24,684                        |
| 18 | Meghalaya                          | 41,221                    | 1,553                   | 42,774                          |
| 19 | Mizoram                            | 17,298                    | 10,242                  | 27,540                          |
| 20 | Nagaland                           | 35,950                    | 7,534                   | 43,484                          |
| 21 | Odisha                             | 53,472                    | 64,364                  | 1,17,836                        |
| 22 | Puducherry                         | 908                       | 782                     | 1,690                           |
| 23 | Punjab                             | 631                       | 338                     | 969                             |
| 24 | Rajasthan                          | 8,687                     | 1,403                   | 10,090                          |
| 25 | Sikkim                             | 632                       | 65                      | 697                             |
| 26 | Tamil Nadu                         | 1,97,818                  | 45,757                  | 2,43,575                        |
| 27 | Telangana                          | 25,930                    | 21,922                  | 47,852                          |
| 28 | Tripura                            | 1,11,927                  | 25,712                  | 1,37,639                        |
| 29 | Uttar Pradesh                      | 1,30,778                  | 60,179                  | 1,90,957                        |
| 30 | Uttarakhand                        | 7,967                     | 4,594                   | 12,561                          |
| 31 | West Bengal                        | 3,66,656                  | 2,64,791                | 6,31,447                        |
|    | All India                          | 26,73,891                 | 8,48,621                | 35,22,512                       |

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