Handlooms to implement proj under SGSY scheme

Chennai, May 6: The Tamil Nadu Government is seeking an amount of Rs ten crore from the centre to implement a special project for handloom weavers under the centrally-sponsored Swarna Jayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), scheme.

Talking to newspersons here yesterday, Commissioner of Handlooms and Textiles M R Mohan said out of 1117 Handloom Weavers Cooperative Societies in the state, 250 were engaged in the production of low value handloom goods and their earnings were meagre.

To improve the skill and daily earnings of the members of theSE 250 handloom weavers cooperatives, a comprehensive special project under SGSY was being implemented, he added.

He said under the scheme, assistance for training and capacity building, design development, skill and technology upgradation were being provided and 11500 weavers had been trained so far and 25,300 designs were made on sarees, dress materials, shirtings, bed-linen, curtains, kitchen-linen and mats.

A special counter was earmarked at the important cooptex showrooms for exhibiting and selling of their exclusive product 'IZHAI',he added.

The looms owned by every weaver under the project was upgraded by replacing old accessories. Around 2096 looms were distributed free of cost and 11137 looms were upgraded under the scheme, he added.

A documentary film on the project was being produced with the help of National Film Development Corporation(NFDC) at a cost of Rs 30 lakh.

The Handloom Industry was playing a vital role in improving the economic conditions of the rural masses by providing employment to more than 4.19 lakh weaver households and about 11.64 lakh weavers.

UNI