Handloom weavers from the economically weaker sections in Chhattisgarh are being provided local market access first in a bid to improve their lot through training and provision of other key amenities, officials stated. About 2048 weavers have been benefitted during the past two years under the Village Industries Department's Integrated Handloom Development Scheme.
The target for the current fiscal 2015-16 is to provide assistance to 1,251 beneficiaries. A provision of Rs3.50 crore has been made in the Budget. The Village Industries Department officials said that Integrated Handloom Development Yojana was launched in 2013-14 to provide financial assistance to the weavers.
Interestingly, the handicraft makers in insurgency infested Bastar region are now also being trained how to market their products. The initiative had been taken by Chhattisgarh Handicraft Development Board, officials stated
In March this year, atleast 60 artisans from various districts of Bastar division participated in a two-day workshop on Marketing organised by Chhattisgarh Handicraft Development Board in the month of March this year.
The artisans were from Jagdalpur, Parchanpaan, Kondagaon, Chilkuti, Deurgaon, who took part in the workshop. During the workshop, the artisans were told about where to sell their products and from where they could source the raw material for making the handicraft. The workshop was organised by the Office of Commissioner, Chhattisgarh Handicraft Development Board.
Notably, in the month of November last year, women entrepreneurs from Bastar and other remote regions of Chhattisgarh who had set up their stalls displaying handicrafts and handlooms in the Chhattisgarh pavilion at 34th India International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi had received huge response for their products from foreign visitors , officials informed.
The fortnight-long fair, which ended on November 27 last year was based on the theme ‘Women Entrepreneur’. The fair was open for traders and businessmen for first five days.
During the business days, many tourists from foreign countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan visited the pavilion, inquired about the ‘Dhokra art’ of Chhattisgarh and showed interest in buying the handicrafts on wholesale.
It may be mentioned here that the Self-help Groups (SHGs) from various districts in Chhattisgarh had showcased their handicrafts in 19 stalls inside the pavilion of Chhattisgarh State at the fair.
The pavilion at Hall No. 2 apart from showcasing natural and mineral resources of the State, also had a wide range of handloom and dress materials on display to lure women visitors, they stated. About 1.08 crore metres of Handloom cloth was woven by Chhattisgarh’s weavers in the current fiscal year 2014-15 till January 31, officials stated.
There are about 234 Co-operative societies with 60,000 members. They work on 20,000 Handlooms in the State. About 13.40 lakh metres of Handloom cloth was produced in the year 2004-05. The cloth was produced by various Co-operative societies, they stated.
Chhattisgarh’s weavers supplied Handloom cloth worth Rs95 crore to the various State Government Departments in the year 2013-14, officials stated.
About 45,900 weavers are employed in 15,300 looms of ‘Handloom Weavers Sanghs’ of the State government’s Village Industries Department.
About 7000 women are employed in the Handloom sector through the 206 Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs). The weavers earn around Rs9000 per month.
The Department officials said in order to provide regular employment to Handloom weavers and to provide market to the garments made by them, tye Chhattisgarh State Handloom Development and Marketing Co-operative Society was registered in December 2000.
There were about 50 primary weavers committees at the time of formation of the Society and in 2014 there are 234 committees. The Handloom Weavers Society was appointed as the nodal agency for procuring Government clothes orders.
The uniforms of School Education Department and Rajiv Gandhi School Mission students, Tribal Welfare Department schools students, blankets, sheets, blazer, mosquito nets, uniform of Women and Child Development Department, durrie and Polyester sarees, Khaki dress material of the police department, mosquito, kit cloth, blankets, polyester sarees are supplied by the Handloom sector.The officials said Rs 9.45 crore was paid as wages to the Primary Weavers' Committees. The amount was paid for weaving and stitching.
In 2012, a 36-year old Weavers Co-operative Committee in Kera village of Navagarh Development Block in Janjgir-Champa district set a record in cloth production by bringing out 1.26 lakh metres during 2011-12.
The Janjgir-Chamba district is known for 'Kosa' cloth production.The weavers committee by the name of ‘Santosh Bunkar Sahakari Samiti’ not just achieved record cloth production, it also paid a total of Rs21.50 lakh to the weavers as wages for their work.
The weaver committee registered in 1976 was on the verge of closing down in 1992 due to changing market demand which led the management on the verge of closing production.The market impact also led to bad financial condition of many of the members of the co-operative.
A group of enthusiastic weavers while not giving up their fight for survival revived the committee with the assistance of the State Co-operatives Department in 2006 and resumed cloth production. The committee also received a ‘revolving fund’ of Rs1.50 lakh from the Handloom Directorate.
later, the committee started supplying cloth to Chhattisgarh State Handloom Trade and Development Co-operative Federation for Government requirements. The effort led to local weavers joining the committee in the hope of getting regular employment. The Committee after its revival had 23 members which currently had swelled to more than 100.
According to Committee Chairman Krishna Kumar Devangan, the committee produced cloth worth Rs27.97 lakh in 2009-10 which resulted in earnings of Rs 9.80 lakh. In 2010-11, the committee produced cloth worth Rs40.60 lakh . He said that the Committee in view of the market demand had now also diversified into producing polyester, shirting and seating cloth (Tatpatti).
The District Co-operative Central Bank has advanced a loan amounting to Rs6 lakh to further promote the work being done by the Committee, Kumar said. The prosperity is there to see in the Kera village as the weavers who lived in mud houses are constructing ‘pucca’ houses and their children had started going to school, he added.