The Minister of State for Textiles, Shri E.V.K.S. Elangovan, informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply to a question by Shri G. Karunakara Reddy that the Government has launched a new scheme called “Integrated Handloom Cluster Development Scheme” in the year 2005-06 for holistic and integrated development of 20 handloom clusters in a timeframe of four years at a total cost not exceeding Rs. 2 crore per cluster.
These clusters are spread in 12 States, including the State of Karnataka each covering about 5000 handlooms. This cluster approach will not replace the cooperative approach for the development of handloom sector, the Minister said.
The Minister further informed the House that the Integrated Handloom Cluster Development Scheme will be replaced by the proposed new “Integrated Handloom Development Scheme (IHDS)”, which has been formulated by merging the components, with or without modifications of the Deen Dayal Hathkargha Protsahan Yojana, Integrated Handloom Cluster Development Scheme, Integrated Handloom Training Project and Workshed-cum-Housing Scheme implemented during the Tenth Five Year Plan. Shri Elangovan further stated that in the State of Karnataka, Gadag is one of the 20 handloom clusters where the cluster development programme is under implementation.
Additional five handloom clusters i.e. (i) Mahalingapur – Bagalkot District; (ii) Challoakere Town -- Chitradurga District; (iii) Kollegal – Chamarajnagar District; (iv) Thimmasandara – Kolar District and (v) Mulakalamuru – Chitradurga District have been selected in the State of Karnataka and their diagnostic study has been conducted. The proposed new Scheme will cover the weavers both in and outside the cooperative fold.
Press Information Bureau Government of India
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