Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Saturday said efforts are on to strengthen the women self-help groups (SHGs) by extending financial support of Rs one lakh to 500 SHGs and Rs two lakh to 50 SHGs with a view to improving the rural economy.
Mein said this while gracing the cluster level awareness programme on the Handloom Mark scheme and a mobile app in his hometown Namsai.
While claiming that earlier Cooperative Societies have failed, the Dy Chief Minister called upon the stakeholders to “learn from the past mistakes” and urged them to adopt a cluster approach through SHGs.
He urged the SHG members and weavers to come forward and take full advantage of the opportunity to learn (about the scheme that aims to brand handloom products and secure a premium position for them in domestic as well as international markets).
While stating that “we have world-class handlooms”, he emphasised on the need for commercialisation of handlooms and handicrafts through innovative designs. He also informed that GI (Geographical Indication) registration of handloom and handicrafts products will be done in a phase-wise manner and an emporium with a weaving shed will come up at Namsai wherein handlooms of all tribes will be sold. He urged the Textiles Committee to facilitate establishing market linkages for the tribal handlooms of the State.
Among others, Namsai ZPC Urmila Mancheykhun, DC R K Sharma, Joint Director of Textiles Committee, Mumbai, Dr K S Muralidhara and In-charge, Regional Office of Textiles Committee, Kolkata, Dr Saumen Mapdar also spoke on the occasion.
Altogether 322 weavers from Namsai and its neighbouring districts participated in the awareness programme, which was organised by the Textiles Committee, Ministry of Textiles, Govt of India in collaboration with the Department of Textiles & Handicrafts, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh.
During the event, Handloom Mark certificates were issued to two weavers – Maloni Lego from Meka, Lower Dibang Valley and Tsering Pait from Pasighat, East Siang district. Yarn Passbooks were also distributed to all the weavers.
The Handloom Mark Scheme was introduced in 2006 to provide a collective identity to the handloom products and to be used not only for popularising the hand-woven products but also to serve as a guarantee for the buyer that the product being purchased is genuinely hand woven.
