Govt promoting Chanderi textiles, says Santosh Gangwar

The government has been implementing several schemes to promote handloom textile industry, including Chanderi textiles, Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State in the Ministry of Textiles, said in a written reply in Lok Sabha during the current session of Parliament. Chanderi is a town in Madhya Pradesh, known for silk saris, commonly known as Chanderi saris.

A handloom cluster at Chanderi for its integrated and holistic development was sanctioned under the Integrated Handloom Cluster Development Scheme (IHCDS). The cluster covered about 5,000 handlooms and was developed with Union government putting in Rs 2 crore. Chanderi handloom cluster was implemented by the Ahmedabad-based Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI). Under this cluster, various initiatives like upgradation of existing dye house, setting up common facility centre, design and project development, engagement of designers, exhibitions and buyer seller meets, formation of web portal, skill development and technology upgradation were implemented.

In addition, under the National Handloom Development programme (NHDP) introduced in 2013-14, EDI has been sanctioned consolidation of the Chanderi handloom cluster. Informing about the funds released by the government of India for financial assistance in favour of the Madhya Pradesh government in the last three years and the current year, the minister said a total of Rs 12.44 crores was released. The government has also released assistance in the form of subsidy on Yarn to the Madhya Pradesh weavers to the tune of Rs 1.03 crore during the last three years and the current year, Gangwar said.