SME Times is powered by   
Search News
Just in:   • Small Businesses And Trade Fairs - A Winning Partnership  • India unveils Taxonomy of Green Steel in big step to decarbonise production  • 69 pc of $1 trillion FDI inflow into India came in last 10 years: Govt  • Commercial-level air taxis arriving soon in South Korea  • Govt inks Rs 13,500 crore deal for 12 Sukhoi fighter jets with HAL in big boost to self-reliance 
Last updated: 09 Mar, 2017  

handicraftTHUMB.jpg Textiles Minister launches sops for women weavers, artisans

Smriti Zubin Irani
   Top Stories
» India seeking mutually beneficial FTA with EU: Piyush Goyal
» India's nuclear power capacity has doubled in last 10 years: Jitendra Singh
» $2.2 trillion in infra investment to help India become $7 trillion economy by 2030
» Women now own 20.5 pc of MSMEs in India, startups surge in tier 2 and 3 cities
» Higher industrial activity spurs power demand in November: Report
Saurabh Gupta | 09 Mar, 2017
On the occasion of International Women's Day on March 08, the Union Textiles Minister Smriti Zubin Irani has launched a special campaign to provide MUDRA Loans to women handloom weavers all across the country.

Irani said that more than 1,700 women weavers are being given such loans, to start the campaign. Five weavers received MUDRA loans from the Minister, on the occasion held in New Delhi.

The Minister also announced 'Kamaladevi Chattopadhya National Awards', a new category of awards specially for women handloom weavers and women handicraft artisans.

Noting that only one woman has so far received the Sant Kabir Award, the Minister said that the awards are being instituted from this year, so that women weavers and artisans receive due recognition and economic benefits associated with the Awards.

This will be a small tribute to recognise the craft excellence and hard work being put in by millions of women working in their homes, carrying forward the torch of India’s proud handloom and handicraft heritage.

The Minister also launched a national campaign to eliminate the exploitative and unhygienic practice of thigh reeling in India (thigh reeling of tasar silk is usually practiced by marginal women entrepreneurs, working every day in their homes during spare time).

Irani noted that 30 percent of the tasar silk produced in India is through the practice of thigh reeling. The Minister said that in order to put an end to this unhygienic and inhuman practice, the Ministry is starting the distribution of woman-friendly Buniyaad Reeling Machines to woman silk reelers.

Developed by Central Silk Technological Research Institute that falls under the aegis of Central Silk Board (CSB), Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, the Buniyaad machine not only reduces the drudgery involved in thigh reeling, but also improves productivity and income.

Appreciating CSB for developing the machine, Smt. Irani expressed the hope that 100 percent of women silk reelers who produce by thigh reeling, receive the machine and thereby end this inhuman practice. She hoped that the machine becomes affordable for the marginal entrepreneurs, given the 75 percent subsidy provided by the Government of India.

Irani distributed replicas of the Buniyaad Reeling Machine to three beneficiaries, as a token of the launch of the initiative.

The Textiles Minister also launched an online "Handloom Weaver MUDRA Portal" in association with Punjab National Bank.

Irani said that often, the handloom weavers are not able to know the status of the MUDRA loan application, after applying for the same. She said that the portal will address this gap; the portal will allow weavers and officials to do real-time tracking of the loan application status. Further, through the portal, regional offices of Banks will be able to submit claims and transfer funds electronically directly to the weaver's loan account.

The new system will reduce the delay in disbursement of claims and financial assistance to handloom weavers.

The Minister announced that the new system will be functional from April 1, 2017, the beginning of the new financial year.

Two MoUs were also signed on the occasion, between the Ministry of Textiles and National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, with the main objective of increasing earnings of millions of women handloom weavers & artisans belonging to backward classes, who work in the handloom & handicraft sectors. This will be done by undertaking large number of cluster development projects.

The Minister said that this will enable targeted disbursement of benefits to women beneficiaries belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled

The Minister also interacted with women beneficiaries of various schemes of the Ministry, at nine different locations across the country, through video conferencing. 
 
Print the Page Add to Favorite
 
Share this on :
 

Please comment on this story:
 
Subject :
Message:
(Maximum 1500 characters)  Characters left 1500
Your name:
 

 
  Customs Exchange Rates
Currency Import Export
US Dollar
84.35
82.60
UK Pound
106.35
102.90
Euro
92.50
89.35
Japanese Yen 55.05 53.40
As on 12 Oct, 2024
  Daily Poll
Will the new MSME credit assessment model simplify financing?
 Yes
 No
 Can't say
  Commented Stories
 
 
About Us  |   Advertise with Us  
  Useful Links  |   Terms and Conditions  |   Disclaimer  |   Contact Us  
Follow Us : Facebook Twitter