Lok Sabha Question No. 1982 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-05
Subject: Welfare of Weavers
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, VIJAY KUMAR S.R.

## WELFARE OF WEAVERS

## 1982.   SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO: DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD: DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN: SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंरी

be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has conducted any survey regarding engagement of total number of Scheduled Caste (SC) workers in textile sector and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;

(b) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  take  fresh  measures  for  the  welfare  and development  of  weavers,  artisans,  jute  workers,  sericulture  workers,  entrepreneurs  and others  engaged  in  the  textile  sector  belonging  to  the  SC  category  and  if  so,  the  details thereof, State/UT-wise;

(c) the  allocation  of  budgetary  outlay  for  the  welfare  of  those  belonging  to  SC category engaged in the textile sector;

(d) the  estimated  number of SC textile workers who are likely to be benefited from these welfare measures; and

(e) the  other  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  for  the  welfare  of  textile workers in the country?

## उत्तर

## ANSWER

## वस्त्र राज  ् य मंरी ( स्त्वतंर प्रभार ) ( श्री संतोष कु मार गंगवार )

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF TEXTILES

(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a) to (e): No such survey regarding engagement of total number of Scheduled Caste (SC) workers  in  textile  sector  has  been  conducted  in  the  recent  past.  However,  as  per  3 rd Handloom Census (2009-10), there are 27.83 lakh Handloom Workers Households across the  country.    Of  this,  2.73  lakh  belongs  to  SC  category.  State-wise  details  are  given  in Annexure-I. The  Government  has  initiated  several  measures  for  the  welfare  of  the weavers  /  workers  and  artisans  in  the  textile  sector,  belonging  to  the  SC  category.  The following steps have been taken in this regards:-

- (i) For  the  welfare  of  handloom  weavers  including  SC  weavers,  several  welfare schemes are implemented like RRR package & Concessional credit scheme, Yarn Supply scheme for making available all types of yarn to handloom weavers/agencies  at  mill  gate  price  by  reimbursing  transportation  charges  to  the user agencies. Further, to provide price relief to handloom weavers, a component of  10%  price  subsidy  on  hank  yarn  has  been  included  under  the  yarn  supply scheme  which  is  applicable  on  cotton,  domestic  silk  and  woollen  yarn  with quantity limitations etc. under the National Handloom Development Programme.
- (ii) Handicrafts sector is extending the benefits of Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana for 20,000 and more artisans including SC Artisans in mega cluster and AHVY cluster through Punjab National Bank for implementation of startup and Stand up India Initiative.
- (iii) Powerloom  Sector  is  implementing  the  scheme  'In-situ  Up-gradation  of  Plain Powerloom' in 27 powerloom clusters, under which enhanced financial assistance is  provided  to  economically  weaker  low-end  powerloom  units,  for  upgrading existing  plain  looms  to  semi-automatic/automatic  looms,  to  improve  quality  and productivity  of  the  fabric  being  produced  by  way  of  fixing  certain  additional attachments/kits and  enable  them  to  face the  competition  in  domestic  and international  markets.  Government  of  India  provides  financial  assistance  to  the extent of 50%, 75% and 90% of the cost of up-gradation to a maximum subsidy of Rs. 40,000/-, 60,000/- and 72,000/- per loom for General, SC and ST category applicants respectively, as shown below:-
- (iv) In  the  Sericulture  Sector  the  SC  beneficiaries  have  been  assisted  towards  inputs supply for productivity improvement, up-gradation of commercial seed production units,  seed  rearing,  construction  of  rearing  houses,  beneficiary  empowerment programme, tasar cluster promotion programme and community based organization. During the year 2015-16, an amount of Rs.700.00 lakhs have been released  to  12  States  for  implementation  of  Scheduled  Castes  Sub-Plan  (SCSP). 2,144 SC beneficiaries have been covered towards implementation of SCSP during the year 2015-16. State-wise details are given in Annexure-II. To assist 700 SC families,  a  project  viz.  'Empowerment  of  SC  families  through  sericulture  under Scheduled  Caste  Sub  Plan  (SCSP)'  has  been  prepared  with  a  central  share  of Rs.22.74 crores for the year 2016-17.
- (v) Training and skill development of SC persons has been initiated by National Jute Manufacturers  Corporation  (NJMC)  in  its  mills  under  ISDS.  NJMC  has  now decided to train about 75 % of its total manpower from the SC category.

|          |                       | Maximum subsidy Amount per loom (in Rupees)   | Maximum subsidy Amount per loom (in Rupees)   | Maximum subsidy Amount per loom (in Rupees)   |
|----------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| Category | Percentage of subsidy | Plain powerloom to semiautomatic              | Semi automatic loom to Shuttless Rapier       | Plain powerloom to Shuttless Rapier           |
| General  | 50%                   | 15,000                                        | 25,000                                        | 40,000/-                                      |
| SC       | 75%                   | 22,000                                        | 37,000                                        | 60,000/-                                      |
| ST       | 90%                   | 27,000                                        | 45,000                                        | 72,000/-                                      |

In  addition  to  above,  for  the  purpose  of  promotion  and  development  of  various segments  of  the  textile    sector  and  for  welfare  of  workers,  weavers  in  this  sector, Government  is  implementing  various  schemes  viz  Integrated  Scheme  for  Powerloom Sector  Development  (ISPSD),  Group  Workshed  Scheme    for  Powerlooms,  Group Insurance Scheme for Powerloom Sector, Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme  (CHCDS),    Handloom  Weavers  Comprehensive  Welfare  Scheme,  etc.  These schemes are applicable to all category of textile workers including SC textile workers. The budget  for  SC  weavers,  workers  and  artisans  earmarked  under  the  Scheduled  Cast  Sub Plan for various textile sector schemes for year 2016-17 is Rs. 167.50 crores.

Annexure-I State-wise Status of Total Handloom workers household , as per Census(2009-10)

| S. No.   | State Name        | Nos. of Total workers All Religion (2009-10)   | Nos. of Total SC Households   |
|----------|-------------------|------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    | 176996                                         | 1701                          |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | 30343                                          | 984                           |
| 3        | Assam             | 1240817                                        | 108342                        |
| 4        | Bihar             | 25485                                          | 1020                          |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      | 2664                                           | 569                           |
| 6        | Delhi             | 1875                                           | 967                           |
| 7        | Gujarat           | 3676                                           | 3202                          |
| 8        | Haryana           | 6455                                           | 1010                          |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh  | 7006                                           | 1882                          |
| 10       | Jammu and Kashmir | 17293                                          | 1475                          |
| 11       | Jharkhand         | 14178                                          | 126                           |
| 12       | Karanataka        | 37680                                          | 842                           |
| 13       | Kerala            | 11690                                          | 583                           |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh    | 8691                                           | 2592                          |
| 15       | Maharashtra       | 1977                                           | 259                           |
| 16       | Manipur           | 178975                                         | 8240                          |
| 17       | Meghalya          | 11400                                          | 358                           |
| 18       | Mizoram           | 39499                                          | 71                            |
| 19       | Nagaland          | 60891                                          | 322                           |
| 20       | Orissa            | 40683                                          | 5512                          |
| 21       | Pondicherry       | 1754                                           | 3                             |
| 22       | Punjab            | 2377                                           | 1154                          |
| 23       | Rajasthan         | 22668                                          | 10827                         |
| 24       | Sikkim            | 568                                            | 38                            |
| 25       | Tamil Nadu        | 189069                                         | 4435                          |
| 26       | Tripura           | 120652                                         | 1229                          |
| 27       | Uttar Pradesh     | 110542                                         | 10982                         |
| 28       | Uttarakhand       | 10606                                          | 1728                          |
| 29       | West Bengal       | 406761                                         | 102603                        |
|          | Total             | 2,783,271                                      | 273,056                       |

## Annexure-II

## SERICULTURE

| #   | State          |   Amount released under SCSP during 2015-16 (Rs.in lakhs) |
|-----|----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| 1   | Karnataka      |                                                     15    |
| 2   | Andhra Pradesh |                                                     21.61 |
| 3   | Telangana      |                                                    120.11 |
| 4   | Kerala         |                                                      1.25 |
| 5   | Tamil Nadu     |                                                     14.75 |
| 6   | Maharashtra    |                                                     61.52 |
| 7   | Madhya Pradesh |                                                    382.49 |
| 8   | Uttar Pradesh  |                                                     12.19 |
| 9   | West Bengal    |                                                     30.98 |
| 10  | Bihar          |                                                      7.25 |
| 11  | Odisha         |                                                     19.17 |
| 12  | Jharkhand      |                                                     13.68 |
|     | Total          |                                                    700    |