Assam Weavers must Capture World Market: Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal

Fourth National Handloom Day

GUWAHATI, Aug 7: “Our handloom products have the capacity to capture the world market and we need best marketing strategies for that. Traditionally Assam’s women weavers have always been able to earn respect and appreciation from around the world. Our weavers must take up the challenge of supplying enough gamosa in the festive season to make the imported ones unwanted,” said Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Sonowal said this on Tuesday while speaking as the chief guest at the state-level function of 4th National Handloom Day organized by Handloom and Textiles Department, Government of Assam at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra, a government communiqué said.

Saying that there is a conducive business atmosphere in the state in the aftermath of ‘Advantage Assam: Global Investors’ Summit’ which resulted in the signing of over 700 MoUs for investment of Rs 79,000 crore, Sonowal urged the weavers of the state to take full advantage of Act East Policy to gain access to the South East Asian market with their handloom products.

Appreciating the Handloom and Textiles department for opening 27 ‘thread banks’ for the weavers of the state where they can purchase threads at subsidized rates, the chief minister urged the department to take action plans to realize Prime Minister Modi’s ‘5F’ Formula - Farm to fibre; fibre to factory; factory to fashion; fashion to foreign. He also praised the department for earning accolades for the state’s handlooms in Textiles India 2017 exhibition which was held in Ahmadabad last year.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Handloom and Textiles Department Ranjit Dutta informed that ‘Sipinee Samaroh’ (Weavers’ Conclave) will be organised at different parts of the state by his department for which a total budget of Rs 3 crore has been earmarked. He also said that department is giving more emphasis on research and development of handloom products at its Handloom Research and Designing Centre in the city.

The department is also mulling a step to provide Rs 25,000 as assistance to those opting for self employment among the 97 trainees who pass out every year from the four Handloom Training Institute in the state, he informed. He also said that threads are being provided to the weavers at 20 percent subsidised rate and mobile vans are also being used for distributing threads in interior places of the state. A handloom policy would soon be implemented in the state and 100 SHGs engaged in handloom in the state would be given financial assistance upto Rs 5 lakh, he said.