First ever handloom cluster opened in Manipur.

Additional Chief Secretary (Textiles Commerce and Industry and Tribal Affairs & Hills) of Manipur State, Mr. Anurag Bajpai today launched the first ever Handloom Cluster for upgradation of weaving skills of 25 village women at Keibul village, Bishnupur district.

Anurag Bajpai informed that the project has been conceived as an important element of developing Eco-tourism in and around the world’s only floating and eco-fragile Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), the only home of single isolated population of Brow Antlered Deer, the ‘Sangai’. It is also aimed to bring Loktak lake, the only fresh water lake in Manipur and extremely significant from the survival angle of Manipuri society as well as the KLNP, under a strict conservation regime, said Bajpai, IFS, also the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) & Head of Forest Force.

He emphasised that it is for the first time that the two Departments of the Government i.e., Textiles, Commerce & Industries (TCI) and Forest Department have joined hands together for a common cause to give a push to the local economy, a good example of the whole of government approach. Further adding that the KLNP Eco-tourism Project is a comprehensive project covering four important elements viz. eco-tourism, operations of eco-tourism related facilities, economic activities and activities ancillary to tourism like Nature Guides, Photographers/Studio, Battery operated carts, Souvenir shops etc. The project is supported under RAMP Scheme of Government of India and it aims to upgrade various skills of villagers. He emphasised that the tourism and local economy has to go hand in hand. Without looking at economic upgradation of dependent communities, no efforts for promoting tourism would be successful.

He highlighted that the instant handloom cluster is aligned with the aims of the eco-tourism project. Directorate of Handloom and Textiles has conducted survey in about 200 Households with the help of Cluster Development Executives (CDEs) and selected 25 women of Keibul Village for upgradation of weaving skills. They will be imparted skills by trained and qualified CDEs and Textile Designers (TDs). During the training, CDEs and TDs will work with trainees on development of various motifs, new designs and colour combinations as per the demand in the other States to widen the market for their products. The training will continue for 15 days and thereafter the trainees will also be exposed to Moirang Cluster. He added that now the weavers will also be in position to avail the benefit of subsidy under CM’s Yarn Scheme. The CS has also inspected an IDP at Moirang where training of 20 women has started from today for Kauna Craft Products by Directorate of Handlooms & Textiles. The training will continue for 20 days. While interacting with trainees, Bajpai informed them of the benefit of training and appreciated their resilience in difficult circumstances. He conveyed that they would get stipend of Rs. 300/- per day and the products made by them during the training would be procured by the Directorate, which will add in to their income generation further.

Team Maverick