90% subsidy to weavers for technological upgradation: Irani

Weavers are getting 90 per cent subsidy for technological upgradation of their handlooms and accessories under a scheme aiming to improve quality of the fabric and productivity, Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani said on Friday.

In her address after felicitating handloom exporters at the 28th National Handloom award function here, she said the Hathkargha Samvardhan Sahayata Yojana, launched in August 2016, meets the needs of the handloom weavers for assistance on a larger scale for looms and accessories.

Irani also urged the weavers to utilise the benefits provided under schemes like Mudra, under which as much as 28 per cent of the beneficiaries were new entrepreneurs and 70 per cent of them were women.

She said Tamil Nadu was one of the states which has a major share of beneficiaries under the scheme.

Irani also sought to assure small weavers that they would not be affected by the Goods and Service Tax (GST), as most of them earn less than Rs 20 lakh per year and hence would not fall under the tax's ambit.

She urged the exporters to create awareness among the weavers not only on the GST issue, but also regarding the subsidies and other welfare schemes of the government.

--IANS

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