PM Narendra Modi to announce a big project for weavers of Varanasi: Textiles Minister Santosh Gangwar

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to announce a big initiative for weavers of Varanasi next week, Textiles Minister Santosh Gangwar said today.

Weavers in other parts of the country are also facing problems and a new textiles policy will be formulated to give an overall thrust to the sector, the minister said.

"We have framed a complete project for Varanasi. Our secretary is going tomorrow. The Prime Minister will be there on 13th and 14th. We are going to announce a big project there," the minister told reporters here after inaugurating the Handloom Marketing complex here.

He was replying to a question about the issue of exodus of weavers from Varanasi to different jobs.

Gangwar said the ministry will soon firm up the draft of the National Textiles Policy, which aims at providing a road map for the sector.

He said the ministry has consulted various stakeholders on the matter.

"You will very soon get to know about the final shape of the policy. The deliberation process is going on for the same. We have taken into consideration the opinions of state textiles ministers too. So, in the coming few days, we will give it the final form," he said.

The key objectives of the new Textiles Policy include developing a vision statement for the sector for the next decade so as to treble the market share from 4 per cent at present.

Besides, it also aims to formulate a stable and fibre neutral raw materials policy to benefit the entire value chain and to address modernisation and mechanisation needs of the textile industry.

The existing National Textile Policy 2000 was framed about 13 years ago. Since then, the industry has undergone various changes on the domestic and international front. The domestic textile industry has seen large scale modernisation and technological up-gradation in the last decade and faces new challenges.

In the international trade scenario, while the export quota regime has been removed in 2004, recent trends in the global textile industry offer an enormous opportunity to Indian industry to enhance its share in world trade with a supportive policy framework.

Government aims to formulate a new improved Textile Policy to address concerns of adequate skilled work force, labour reforms, attract investments in the sector and to provide a future road map for the textile and clothing industry.

The marketing complex has been inaugurated to create a permanent outlet that will enable handloom agencies to augment sales and make available quality handloom products to consumers.