Imphal: A 45-day long training program for skill up-gradation of handloom weavers under the Ministry of Textiles' Samarth scheme is underway at Sintha Handloom and Handicrafts Complex CFC in Manipur's Imphal East district.
Speaking to ANI, Sintha Handloom and Handicrafts President Sougrakpam Bhubon said, "Samarth scheme is an important project of the Ministry of Textiles, which is aimed at creating opportunities to the handloom weavers to enhance their skills in the craft."
Bhubon informed that apart from the stipend, other added benefits are being provided to the trainees.
"Handloom sector is the second-largest employment sector in the state which after agriculture sector. The state has around four lakh weavers," he added.
To meet the skill gap in the industry, the Ministry of Textiles is implementing the Samarth scheme for capacity building in the textile sector.
The scheme's objective is to provide demand-driven, placement-oriented skilling programmes to supplement the industry's efforts in creating employment in textile and related sectors, covering the entire value chain of textiles, excluding spinning and weaving in the organised sector.
Under the scheme, the Ministry of Textiles has adopted 65 clusters for the overall development of artisans in a time-bound manner by ensuring self-sustainment of the artisans of these clusters.
The need-based interventions are being implemented to benefit the artisans of these adopted clusters. The upskilling of the handicrafts artisans in these adopted clusters are being done through providing technical and soft skill training to enable sustainable livelihood either by wage or self-employment. (ANI)
