“Handloom is fast growing industry”

Imphal, July 11 2016: Handloom, besides being one of the most important cottage industry in the State, is also one of the fast growing industries, said M Rajen Singh, Additional Director (Handloom) of Commerce & Industries Department, Government of Manipur while addressing media persons as part of the series of press conferences organised by DIPR today at its office complex.

As per the Handloom Census 2009-10, Manipur has 2.04 lakh handloom workers and 1.90 lakh looms.

The State has the highest concentration of weavers and highest concentration regarding possession of looms in the country.

Highlighting the achievements of the department, the Additional Director further informed that the Handlooms & Textiles Section under the Department of Commerce & Industries, Govt of Manipur is mandated to improve the socio-economic conditions of the handloom weavers.

Towards this end, it has taken up several schemes and activities.

Some of these are provision of a sum of Rs 4000 and Rs 6000 per wea-ver to 18272 weavers under the Deen Dayal Hathkargha Protsahan Yojana (DDHPY) and Integrated Handloom Development Scheme (IHDS) respectively.

Assistance for skill upgra-dation was given to 14497 weavers under DDHPY and IHDS for increased production.

11550 weavers will be trained under Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS) within 2017 .

The Handloom and Textile section constructed a total of 115 Common Facility Centres (CFCs) at the cost of Rs 553.93 lakh under DDHPY and IHDS for carrying out common activities, like warping, dyeing, pre and post-loom operation.

It has also constructed worksheds for 17042 weavers at a cost of Rs 600.67 lakhs under Workshed-Cum-Housing Scheme, IHDS and North Eastern Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS).

Further to facilitate weavers to work in a group of 5-6, group worksheds with solar home light were constructed at the cost of Rs 1071 lakh under NERTPS.

In a bid to monitor, supervise and produce new and attractive designs, a total of 166 diploma and degree holders in handloom technology, textile technology and fashion technology and fashion designers were employed in 117 handloom clusters with 100 per cent Central assistance of Rs 1016.40 lakh under IHDS and NERTPS.

In order to ensure regular availability of yarn of requisite counts for a month, one-time assistance was provided as a corpus fund to the National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC) to ensure supply of yarn to 117 yarn depots of 117 handloom clusters with a corpus fund of Rs 274.50 lakh under IHDS and NERTPS.

The inauguration of Panthoibi Arcade, Wangkhei by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Nov 26, 2015 which was constructed at a cost of 488.43 will give a big boost to the sale and popularization of handloom products of the State.

There are 10 shops in the ground and first floors in the arcade while the second and third floors house exhibition and training hall.

The launching of the Powerloom & Allied Service Centre at Industrial Estate, Takyelpat by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on June 6, 2014 at the cost of Rs 94 lakh funded fully by the Ministry of Textiles, Govt of India is another notable achievement of the department.

The registration of three Manipur handloom fabrics, namely, Shaphee Lanphee, Wangkhei Phee and Moirang Phee under Geographical Indication of goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 on March 31, 2014 by the Registrar of GI and Trade Marks, Govt of India is again a big achievement which will ensure that the design is not plagiarized.

In the Handicraft section, the Department extended benefit to 500 handicraft artisans under the scheme of ex-trainees assistance to enable the ex-trainees of handicrafts to establish his or her own handicrafts industry.

Assistance has also been provided to about 500 outstanding handicraft artisans of Manipur to modernise their units with the State budgetary support fund and the same scheme is still continuing.

50 handicraft artisans of the State have so far been provided outside exposures.

150 craftspersons have been provided special assistance particularly the Kouna craft artisans.

N Radhachoron Singh, Additional Director of Commerce and Industry said that in order to boost the industrial sector in the State, the Department will be setting up Industrial Estates in each of the nine districts of the State under financial assistance of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and the NEC.

At present, upgradation of Takyel Industrial Estate, construction of Kuraopokpi and Tera Urak Industrial Estates at a total project cost of Rs 5859.72 is going on.

One of the significant developments in the future which will boost trade and commerce with neighbouring countries especially with Myanmar and other South East Asian countries is the setting up of a Multi Storied Shopping Complex at Moreh.

Project cost for construction of Multi Storied Shopping Complex is Rs 2171.80 lakh.

The construction of this Shopping Complex was completed and Secretary (Commerce), Government of India inaugurated the Complex on January 24, 2016 .

Realizing the need for development of food processing industries, the department is implementing the National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP), by setting up a Food Park at Nilakuthi, Food Processing Training Centre (Single line) and Regional Extension Service Centre, at Porompat, Imphal East.

Kh Dilip Singh, OSD (Geology and Mining) stated that the department is taking up a project for the exploration of limestone deposits from Leingangching to Chakpikarong, Chandel district Manipur while in another project it will undertake exploration of Chromite in Kwatha area, Chandel district, Manipur.

The various activities and schemes taken up by the Department of Commerce & Industries is taken up to improve the socio-economic condition of the people of the State by way of extending financial assistance, providing training and other skill development measures to and other help to weavers, artisans, entrepreneurs and others, he said.