Agartala, July 03 : Tripura government has sought aid and support from Centre for development of handloom sector of the state, which received overwhelming response in Europe and Central Asian nations.
State Industry and Commerce Minister Jitendra Choudhury said at a time when handloom industries in the states like Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Orissa were on the verge of closure because of competition from mechanised sector, unavailability of credit and poor adaptability with the market requirements, Tripura had been flourishing along with Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Chhatisgarh.
Mr Choudhury said Centre had formulated a financial package of Rs 3000 crore for waiver of the overdues of loans for the handloom cooperatives of the country and also to provide loans at concessional rates of seven per cent per annum.
Centre has also introduced some schemes for development and welfare of handloom weavers, which include Marketing and Export Promotion Scheme, Handloom Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme, Mill Gate Price Scheme and Diversified Handloom Development Scheme, he added.
–Agencies