Ease of Doing Business for MSMEs: In an effort to improve the productivity of weavers in Karnataka and boost economic growth, the state Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said that he is trying to increase branding efforts for the weavers’ products around the globe, as per a report by ANI.
The Minister was speaking in the Suvarna Soudha Conference Hall in Belagavi after being felicitated by the weavers for fulfilling their long due demands on Monday.
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“The government will take all necessary steps in this regard,” said CM Bommai. He also informed that the textile policy will accordingly be amended in the upcoming days.
“Karnataka has been the biggest exporter of textiles in the country and the Ilkal saree is quite famous across the country. But it needs branding on a national level and for which an agreement will be signed with online platforms like Amazon,” Bommai added.
Meanwhile, the CM also mentioned that the weavers will be given loans up to Rs 2 lakh with zero per cent interest rate. Moreover, they will get 50 per cent concession in power charges and fixed charges for purchasing handloom and powerloom units. The allowances are on the lines of the initiatives taken by the state of Tamil Nadu.
“A saree may be sold for Rs 50,000 but the profit will not come to weavers. Weaving is an art and the government will extend all help. The weavers have a history of hundreds of years and they fully supported it when the people decided to stop wearing the western cloth and use only swadeshi cloth. This profession has given the maximum number of jobs to youths when compared to other industries. The employment opportunities are abundant in the textile industry and it is very important to promote this sector in the interest of the country,” he added.
Keeping in mind the critical role of weavers, Bommai said that those working in looms will be treated as unorganised labourers and will be able to access all benefits accordingly. The government is working towards the welfare of weavers and is cognizant of the health problems faced by them, he added.
The Chief Minister highlighted that the Nekar Sanman scheme has been extended to weavers who work on power looms in addition to handloom weavers. The scheme to provide monetary assistance to the pandemic battered weavers was a part of the Rs 1,610 crore Covid Relief Package released by the Karnataka Government in the year 2020.
The subsidy given to the professional weavers community has also increased from 30 per cent to 50 per cent.
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Besides, the weaving products are being included in the Education Department’s Vidya Vikas scheme for free uniforms for students. This will enable the education department to order the uniform cloth from weavers. The tenders will be floated to order the cloth for remaining quantity depending on the capacity of the Government Weavers Corporations.
The state will buy 25 per cent of the uniform requirement of various departments from Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation, the report added.
