As per 4^th All India Handloom Census 2019-20, there are 2,11,327 women weavers in the State of Manipur.

Women weavers play a vital role in the handloom sector. In order to encourage them, the Ministry of Textiles provides additional incentives to them to sustain and augment their business. Some of the benefits provided to the women weavers across the country including Manipur are:

• Under schemes of handloom sector, preference is given to programmes which have weavers from women category.
• There is 100% subsidy to BPL/SC/ST/Women/Transgender/Differently-abled weavers for construction of work sheds under National Handloom Development Programme.
• Since 2016, Kamladevi Chattopadhyay Award has been instituted specifically for women weavers.

Besides, Ministry of Textiles is implementing central sector schemes such as (i) National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) and (ii) Raw Material Supply Scheme (RMSS) to promote handlooms and for welfare of handloom weavers including women weavers of Manipur across the country. Under these schemes, financial assistance is provided to eligible handloom agencies/weavers for raw materials, procurement of upgraded looms & accessories, solar lighting units, construction of workshed, skilling, product & design development, technical and common infrastructure, marketing, concessional loans under weavers’ MUDRA scheme and social security etc.

Weavers’ Service Centre, Imphal is catering to upgrade skills of handloom weavers in Manipur.

The following 3 Handloom products from the State of Manipur have been registered under Geographical Indication (GI) Act 1999:

Sl. No.	Name of Handloom Product	Registration date
1	Shaphee Lamphee	31.03.2014
2	Wangkhei Phee	31.03.2014
3	Moirang Phee	31.03.2014

 

Three Handloom products of Manipur viz. Manipur Lashing phee, Manipur Leirum phi and Manipur Tangkhul Handloom shawl (Changkhom, Raivat Kachon) have been identified for registration under the Act.

This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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DHANYA SANAL K

(Lok Sabha US Q2830)

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