Steps needed to ensure handloom weavers get rightful wage: PM Modi

Prime Minister Modi addressed the people gathered to celebrate the first National Handloom Day.

“The main objective of our efforts is to increase the wages of our weavers”.

According to him, his appeal to people in October last year to use khadi had resulted in a 60 percent year-on-year jump in its sales.

Besides, the Prime Minster visited the exhibition of handloom products from various states kept for display at the University Auditorium.

Modi said he is emphasising on holding events of national importance in other places rather than just New Delhi. He said this indicates the seriousness of Central and State Governments towards this sector. In some cases a weaver takes months to weave a single saree (Indian drape). “To keep the tradition alive it was important to boost the handloom industry and it was important to bail out the weavers from the challenges facing them”.

A Textile Committee will decide the quality of the handloom products depending upon on the application, after that committee will give a registration certificate to the person if he/she meets the criteria.

He said that, with the world becoming progressively more aware about the environment and holistic healthcare, there was a need to highlight the eco-friendly aspects of handloom products. Modi said almost 60 percent of the loan account size of the bank would be around Rs.50,000.

Modi said the government had increased the funding assistance to handloom clusters to Rs.

First National level handloom day is going to be launched at a national level meeting that is scheduled to be held tomorrow in Chennai by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sant Kabir Award: This award is being conferred from 2009 onwards to outstanding handloom weavers who have made valuable contribution in keeping alive the handloom heritage and also for their dedication in building up linkages between the past, present and the future through dissemination of knowledge on traditional skills and designs.

The Prime Minister emphasized that India, whose handicrafts were once in demand across all continents, had not been able to market its handloom products well in recent times. Fashion designers such as Sabhyasachi and Ritu Kumar use handlooms for their fashion lines. He was provided with Tamil translation.