Lok Sabha Question No. 3066 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-17
Subject: Schemes for Weaver Societies
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3066 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2015

## SCHEMES FOR WEAVER SOCIETIES

## 3066 SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL:

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

- a) the    details  of  the  schemes  being  implemented  or  proposed  to  be  implemented  for promoting weaver societies in financially backward areas ;
- b) whether  any  commission  has  been/is  being  set  up  for  conducting  study  on  Indian traditional weaver societies ; and
- c) if so, the details and status thereof ?

## 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) For  the  sustainable  development  of    handloom  sector  and  to  improve  the  working conditions  of  handloom  weavers  including  promoting  weaver  societies  in  financially backward areas, the following schemes are under implementation during 12 th Plan:
1. National Handloom Development Programme- two components:
- (i) Revival, Reform and Restructuring (RRR) Package for handloom sector
- (ii) Comprehensive Handlooms Development Scheme
2. Handloom Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme- two components:
- (i) Health Insurance Scheme for access to health care facilities
- (ii) Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana for life insurance
3. Yarn Supply Scheme
4. Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme

The details of schemes are given in Annexure-I.

- (b) & (c): No such commission has been/is being set up for conducting study on Indian traditional weaver societies.

## Details of schemes  under implementation for Handloom Sector

## 1. NATIONAL HANDLOOM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

National  Handloom  Development  Programme  (NHDP)  is  being  implemented  as  a  centrally  sponsored programme for development of handlooms, having following components:-

## a. Revival, Reform & Restructuring (RRR) package for the handloom sector

RRR package covers waiver of overdue loan 100% principal and 25% of interest as on 31/3/2010 and recapitalization  assistance  of  eligible  apex  and  primary  weavers  of  the  cooperative  societies  & individual weavers and also provides fresh loan at 6% interest rate along with credit guarantee for 3 years. The RRR Package was approved for implementation upto 28.02.2014. For providing access to subsidized term loan as well as working capital loan to handloom weavers not covered under loan waiver package, Government has approved Concessional Credit Component. The loan is sanctioned to  weavers  at  6%  interest  and  GoI  interest  subvention  is  max.7%  and  to  leverage  the  loan, Government  provides  margin  money  assistance  upto  Rs.  10,000  per  weaver  and  credit  guarantee through Credit guarantee Trust Fund for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).

## b. Comprehensive Handlooms Development scheme (CHDS)

CHDS  has  been  formulated  by  merging  the  components  of  Integrated  Handloom  Development Scheme  (IHDS),  Marketing  &  Export  Promotion  Scheme  (MEPS)  and  Diversified  Handloom Development Scheme (DHDS), implemented during the 11 th Plan.  Sub-components of the CHDS are as follows:-

- i. Development of handloom clusters of different sizes
- ii. Consolidation of existing handloom clusters in  2 years
- iii. Group Approach Projects
- iv. Marketing Incentive
- v. Organizing handloom exhibitions, both in India and abroad for marketing of  handloom products
- vi. Strengthening of handloom organizations/institutions
- vii. Handloom Census
- viii. Publicity, monitoring, supervision, training and evaluation of the scheme

## 2. HANDLOOM WEAVERS COMPREHENSIVE WELFARE SCHEME

This scheme has 2 components namely Health Insurance Scheme (HIS) and Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana (MGBBY). The HIS aims at enabling the weaver community to access healthcare facilities. The scheme covers not only the weaver but the spouse and two children.  It also provides outpatient (OP) treatment facility. On the other hand, MGBBY aims to provide insurance cover to handloom weavers in the case of natural as well as accidental death and in cases of total or partial disability.   A scholarship of Rs.300/-  per  quarter  per  child  subject  to  two  children  studying  in  standard  IX  to  XII  is  also  provided under MGBBY. Health Insurance Scheme has been discontinued w.e.f. 30.09.2014 and now the scheme is  implemented by Ministry of Labour & Employment on Rashtriya Swashthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) platform.

## 3. YARN SUPPLY SCHEME (YSS)

This scheme makes available all types of yarn at Mill Gate Price to the eligible handloom agencies and the  transport  and  depot  operating  expenses  are  being  borne  by  the  Government  of  India.    Further,  to provide the subsidized yarn to handloom weavers in order to compete with powerloom and mill sector, a new component of 10% price subsidy on cotton hank yarn, domestic silk yarn and woollen yarn is also provided.

## 4. COMPREHENSIVE HANDLOOM CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

Mega handloom cluster covers 25,000 handlooms and is developed at an upper GoI share of Rs.70.00 crore  each  in  a  period  of  5  years.    So  far,  eight  mega  handloom  clusters  at  Varanasi,  Sivasagar, Murshidabad, Godda, Virudhnagar, Prakasham, Trichy and Bhagalpur have been taken up for development in handloom sector.