Central govt. ready to provide training to 10,000 weavers — Manipur minister

Our Correspondent Imphal, Aug. 2 (EMN): The Central government is ready to provide training to 10,000 weavers to enhance their skills, said Textiles, Commerce and Industries Minister Thongam Biswajit Singh. Informing that the government of Manipur is planning to enlist weavers residing in the state to access their value of contribution, he asked the department officials to carry out GI registration of indigenous products at the earliest. The minister was speaking at the 20th state handloom day celebration, held under the aegis of the Handlooms promotion Council, Manipur in Imphal on Friday. He also announced that during the upcoming Manipur Textiles Expo, 2500 looms will be distributed free of cost to the weavers. Observing that handloom industry is the second source of income in the state, he said there is a need for positive change to accelerate the development process in Manipur. Promotion of handloom products requires active involvement of all the stakeholders including individuals residing in the state, he added. The minister further assured to provide all possible help from government in promoting handloom and handicraft products. To facilitate the weavers, he said the government had introduced handloom delivery system with the aim to increase production and income of the weavers.