West Bengal to Soon Have Handloom Technology Institute

A handloom training institute is likely to be soon set up in Nadia district of the east Indian State of West Bengal, according to the State’s Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Manas Bhunia.

The Minister said the proposal for starting an Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT) in West Bengal was tabled during the previous Let Front government, but it remained unimplemented.

When their party assumed power, they wrote to the Union Finance Minister and the Textiles Minister to carry on with the proposal and the Central Government is deliberating on it positively, he added.

He informed that there are around 750,000 handloom workers in the State who would benefit from establishment of IIHT at Shantipur in Nadia district.


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Silk & Cotton Items on Display at Sikkim Handloom Expo

A handloom and handicrafts expo showcasing exquisite silk and cotton handloom items manually prepared by artisans of various States is going on in Gangtok, the capital of Indian State of Sikkim.

The Special Handloom Expo 2011, organized by Sikkim Handloom and Handicrafts Corporation Ltd., under the aegis of Development Commissioner (Handloom), Ministry of Textiles Government of India, would run till December 10.

Handloom artisans from seven States including Bihar, Nagaland, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Sikkim and West Bengal are showcasing their products at 40 stalls set up at the expo.

Besides, there is also a theme pavilion exhibiting traditional wears of various ethnic communities of the State like Nepali, Bhutia and Lepcha. The pavilion also showcases the handloom, Lukuni and Angora weaves.

Several other useful and appealing handloom items are on display at the expo, which was inaugurated by Neeru Sewa, Sikkim’s Minister for Commerce and Industries Department in the presence of other dignitaries.


Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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Anand Sharma Announces Comprehensive Package for Handloom Weavers

Government is actively seized with the concerned being faced by the handloom sector which employs 43 lakh weavers. In recent times, this sector has come under stress on account of high yarn prices and stiff competition from power loom and mill sector.

Apart from this, access to credit is not easily forthcoming. The bulk of handloom industry weavers are from UP, West Bengal, Orissa, North East and Southern belt, large number of which belong to the minority community and women. A focused attention to this sector is, therefore an imperative from the stand point of our ‘inclusive growth’ agenda.

Loan waiver for handloom weavers

On assuming charge of the Ministry of Textiles, Shri Anand Sharma had taken a comprehensive review of this sector. In the Budget 2011-12, the Government had announced a loan waiver package of Rs. 3,000 crores, which was expected to benefit 15,000 handloom weavers cooperative societies and 3 lakh handloom weavers, who had been unable to repay their loan on account of economic difficulties. However, a large number of weavers of U.P. who operate on an individual basis and are not organised in the cooperative sector, were left out of its ambit.

A meeting of Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) was held yesterday and a decision of covering individual weavers also, a large number of whom are from UP, will be sent for consideration of the Cabinet.

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Textile traditions of AP on display at Handloom Expo in Vijayawada

A whole range of traditional handlooms like Dharmavaram, Mangalagiri, Kuppadam, Pochampalli, Uppada, Chirala, Gadwal and Guntur are being showcased at the National Handloom Expo being held in Vijayawada city of the south Indian State of Andhra Pradesh.

For those not aware about the State’s rich textile heritage these are just names of places. However, those eager to learn about the art and the technique used by the weavers at these places for preparing one of the finest textiles, the Theme Pavilion at the expo is the best place.

In addition to live demonstration of the strenuous techniques of Uppada Jamadani weaving, Kalamkari block printing and Tie and dye Jamadani, the Vijayawada Weavers’ Service Centre (WSC) is also showcasing various customary and experimental samples of dress materials, saris and bed spreads which have been tidily labelled so that one can read and educate himself.

The speciality of the saris put up on display by the WSC is that these were woven at the Centre by weavers from different places who combined different weaving techniques to produce these saris. For instance, one whole sari was woven using the technique used to weave Gadwal saris, while its border was woven by weavers of East Godavari with the use of Kuppadam technique.

It requires great effort in weaving a Gadwal sari as the weavers need to make three knots from different coloured yarns with the help of a weft for preparing the sari and borders thereon.

Both cotton and silk saris prepared with use of tie and dye technique and dyed with vegetable dyes were included in the saris designed in the WSC.

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Handloom institute to be set up in West Bengal

While on a visit to Kolkata, Commerce and Textile Minister – Mr Anand Sharma said the Union Government would set up a handloom institute along with two textile parks, the announcement for which had been made earlier.

He was addressing the media after a meeting with the West Bengal Chief Minister – Ms Mamta Banerjee, Finance Minister – Mr Amit Mitra and Industry Minster - Mr Partha Chatterjee.

“Two integrated textile parks have already been approved and the location for the same will be decided by the West Bengal government”, he said.

“Emphasis will be put on skill development programs along with revival of the jute sector”, he added.


Fibre2fashion News Desk - India


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