Bhubaneswar: More than 10,600 handloom weavers and workers in Odisha have been covered under various social security schemes implemented by the Union Ministry of Textiles, Union Minister of State for Textiles Pabitra Margherita informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
In a written reply to a question by BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra, Margherita said that 10,601 handloom weavers and workers in Odisha have been covered under the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) since the inception of the schemes.
Besides insurance coverage, 72 award-winning weavers in the state have received financial assistance under the National Handloom Development Programme to support those facing indigent circumstances, Margherita said.
The Centre further stated that the Ministry of Textiles regularly coordinates with state governments and Union Territories through Weavers Service Centres (WSCs), which function as field offices of the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), to create awareness about various welfare schemes.
Awareness camps and chaupals are being organised across the country, including Odisha, to ensure that handloom weavers and workers are informed about the social security benefits available to them.
Margherita also said that the Handloom Helpline Centre is being utilised to disseminate information about these schemes among handloom weavers and workers across the country, including Odisha.
