Ease of doing business for SMEs: In an effort to improve the productivity of weavers in Karnataka and boost economic growth, state Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said that he is trying to increase branding efforts for weavers’ products worldwide, according to a report by ANI.
The minister was speaking at the Suvarna Soudha Conference Hall in Belagavi after congratulating the weavers for fulfilling their demands on Monday.
Also Read: Share of SMEs in India’s exports close to FY22 level till August in current fiscal: Govt data
“The government will take all necessary steps in this regard,” said CM Bommai. He also announced that the policy of the textile industry will change accordingly in the coming days.
“Karnataka has been the largest exporter of textiles in the country and the Ilkal saree is quite famous across the country. But it needs national level branding and for that an agreement will be signed with online platforms like Amazon,” added Bommai.
Meanwhile, the CM also mentioned that loans up to Rs 2 lakh will be provided to the poor at zero percent interest rate. They will also get 50 percent concession on power charges and fixed charges on purchase of handloom and powerloom units. The allowances are in line with initiatives taken by the state of Tamil Nadu.
“A saree can be sold for 50,000 rupees, but the profit will not go to the weavers. Weaving is an art and the government will extend all support. Weavers have a history of hundreds of years and were fully supportive when people decided to stop wearing western cloth and use only swadeshi cloth. This profession it has provided the most jobs to the youth compared to other industries. There are many job opportunities in the textile industry and it is very important to promote this sector for the sake of the country,” he added.
Keeping in mind the critical role of weavers, Bommai said that those working on the looms will be treated as unorganized workers and they will be able to avail all the benefits accordingly. The government is working for the welfare of the weavers and is aware of their health problems, he added.
The Chief Minister pointed out that the Nekar Sanman scheme has been extended to weavers working on handlooms in addition to handlooms. It was part of the Rs 1,610 crore Covid relief package released by the Karnataka Government in 2020.
The subsidy given to the community of professional weavers has also increased from 30% to 50%.
Also read: Fintech app UpScale launches e-invoicing solution for SMEs
Also, textile products are being included in the Education Department’s Vidya Vikas program for free uniforms for students. This allows the education department to order uniform fabric from the weavers. Tenders will be floated for the fabric of the remaining quantity, depending on the capacity of the Government Weavers Corporations.
The state will purchase 25 per cent of the uniform requirement of various departments from the Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation, the report added.