Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai chaired a meeting with representatives of the weaving community and officials on Saturday and made the announcement later that day. According to a press release, it was also decided that the Nekar Samman scheme would be extended to powerloom workers.
Other decisions included issuing occupancy certificates to weavers residing in weavers' settlements and granting exemption from Karnataka State Pollution Control Board norms to weavers who weave at home by classifying it as a 'cottage industry.'
The meeting also decided that the quantity of uniforms required for the Vidya Vikas scheme from Karnataka Handloom and Powerloom Corporations would be fixed, and tenders would be floated for the remainder. Karnataka currently has approximately 40000 handloom weavers and 120000 powerlooms.
The meeting agreed that a work order must be issued in December to ensure supply at the appropriate time. Karnataka Handloom Corporation would supply approximately 25% of the uniforms required for various departments.
The government has also agreed to investigate the possibility of providing weaving unit workers with facilities similar to those provided to construction workers and to make a decision before presenting the State budget.
The Department of Handlooms and Textiles has taken a proactive approach to achieve its goals. It has an exclusive policy for promoting textile industries and several schemes to support and benefit handloom and power loom weavers.
Textile Minister Shankar Patil Munenkoppa, KHDC chairman Siddu Sawadi, MLAs Abhay Patil, Mahadevappa Yadwad, former MLC M.D. Lakshminarayan, and others attended the meeting.
