Up until January 20, 2017, 1,912 camps were organised for weavers and artisans of handloom and handicrafts sector, said Irani in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question.
A total of 6,28,215 bank accounts have been opened/mobile apps downloaded by the participants of these camps. Banks have also provided micro-ATM facilities at weaving clusters.
In a reply to another Lok Sabha question, the minister said that the government has announced a special package of reforms for generation of around 1.11 crore jobs in apparel and made-ups sectors, and for a cumulative increase of $32.8 billion in exports and investment of Rs 80,630 crore over the next three years.
“The package includes a slew of measures, which are labour-friendly and would promote employment generation, economies of scale and boost exports. Moreover, the government is providing additional production-linked incentive of 10 per cent under the Amended Technology Upgradation Scheme (ATUFS), for promoting employment in garmenting segment,” she added.
Irani also said that the government has designed Pradhan Mantri Paridhan Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMPRPY) to incentivise employers in the apparel sector for generation of new employment. Under the PMPRPY, government provides additional 3.67 per cent of the employer’s contribution, in addition to government bearing 8.33 per cent of employer contribution of Provident Fund (EPF).The special package has been extended to made-ups sector to provide additional impetus to employment generation.
“The government has also been implementing the ATUFS, the scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP), the Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS), the North Eastern Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS) and more with a view to enhance the growth of the textile sector and increase employment in the sector,” concluded Irani. (KD)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India