New Delhi, Feb 17 (ANI): Union Textiles Minister Shankersinh Vaghela today said that the Government is committed to helping handloom weavers meet the challenges of globalization and modernization.

While laying the foundation stone of the “Handloom Marketing Complex” here, Vaghela said, “Our initiatives cover all aspects of production and raw material supply, design and technical assistance, training and skill up-gradation, marketing and welfare of weavers”.

He said that the Government has introduced five handloom schemes for overall development of the sector and welfare of the weavers in the XIth Plan.

Welcoming the setting up of the complex, Delhi’s Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said that it is a gift to Delhi shoppers because it is completely devoted to weavers to showcase their handloom products.

Addressing the function, the Minister of State for Textiles, E.V.K.S. Elangovan that the Government is striving to provide maximum social security to the weavers and their families.

“Our endeavour is to empower the weaver, in terms of finance, technology, information, marketing support and so on, so that he gets self-sustainable employment,” he said.

“Conducting the “Third Census for Handlooms and Issue of Photo Identity Cards to eligible Handloom Weavers” across the country is one of the major initiatives taken by the Government. The work on third All India Handloom Census is likely to be completed by December 2009. Photo Identity Cards will be issued to all the eligible handloom weavers enumerated during the Census operations,” he added.

The new Marketing Complex, meant exclusively for handloom fabrics, represents various parts of India. It is being set up on 1.779 acres of land at Janpath, New Delhi and the project will cost Rs. 42 crores.

The complex will have a double two bay basement parking space and will start functioning tentatively by October 2010. It will house products from some of the best handloom producing organizations such as Handloom House Co-optex, APCO, CCIC and other reputed organizations.

It will also have space for a Dilli Haat type atmosphere wherein weavers from throughout the country will be invited for a 14 days period to exhibit their fabrics and sell their products. Besides this, there will be a restaurant, conference hall and other facilities.

The handloom sector is the second largest employment generating sector in our country, next only to agriculture, employing about 65 lakh people, out of which about 60 per cent are women.

Therefore, the contribution of handwoven textiles to employment, textile production and export earnings is significant not only from an economic angle but also from a social angle. (ANI)