Govt considering loan waiver scheme for weavers: Maran

Government is actively considering a loan waiver scheme for weavers on the lines of the farm loan waiver programme, Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran told the Lok Sabha today.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, he said there was a proposal to waive off loans of weavers on the lines of the farm loan waiver.

The proposal is with the Finance Ministry and is under active consideration, Maran said.

The Minister said the government had launched an insurance scheme for weavers that was availed of by 17 lakh weavers last year. He said this year 18 lakh weavers had availed of the scheme.

There are 25.24 lakh handloom units as per available statistics, he said adding most of the units except a few in Orissa and Kerala were functional.

Maran said 68 handloom cooperative societies in Kerala and 733 in Orissa were non-functional.

Textile exports including handlooms declined by 5.45 per cent during 2008-09 on account of global recession, he said.

However, from last quarter, resurgence in textile exports have been reported on month-to-month basis, Maran said.