1. WEAVERS EXTENSION SERVICE  UNIT:

     Objective of the programme is to enable the weavers to weave clothes in their looms at home. The weavers are supplied with yarns from these Units along with technical assistance as and when necessary from the technical staff available in these centres. On return of woven fabrics the weavers receive wages as per approved rate of the Department. There are 98 nos such Weavers Extension Service Units functioning all over the state.

            There are 3 nos such Weavers Extension Service Units functioning in Biswanath District. 1 no. at Biswanath Chariali,1 no. at Gohpur and 1 no. at Kalabari.

            Weavers can contact with their nearest Weavers Extension Service Unit ( WESU) for more information.

2. HANDLOOM TRAINING CENTRE:

     The Department of Handloom & Textiles comprising of 102 Handloom Training Centres throughout the state particularly in Rural areas to impart training for creating artisans and upgrading skill on Handloom weaving, Designing and Dyeing etc. The course duration of these centres is one year with intake capacity of 15 to 20 trainees per training centre per session. Stipend provision is available. The candidates should be unmarried and the age of the candidates should be 15 years to 25 years. The candidates must be passed VIII standard.

The receiving of  applications from the interested candidates starts from January every year and the session of course starts from March every year. The State Govt. has designed a self-employment scheme for the students successful passed out from the Handloom Training Centres for production of handloom fabrics with an objective of entrepreneurship development in the Handloom sector. Each successful passed out student in entitled to receive a single loom oriented package of Rs. 25,000/-under this scheme. Rs. 5000/-will be provided as working capital and Rs.20,000/- will be expended for supply of Looms & accessories each to the passed out trainees.

             There are 3 nos. of such Handloom Training Centres in Biswanath District. 1 no.at Behali,1 no. at Gohpur ( Brahmajan) and 1 no. at Kalabari. During 2018-2019 financial year 32 nos passed out trainees have been provided Rs.5000/-each as working capital .

              Candidates can contact with their nearest Handloom Training Centre for more information.

3. FORMATION AND REGISTRATION OF PRIMARY  WEAVERS COOPERATIVE SOCIETY:

     To develop the handloom activities in an organized way the concept of Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society was introduced in the state under the Assam Cooperative Societies Act, 1949, Act-1 of 1951. A three tire Cooperative system was formed as (i) Apex Level Society (ii) Regional Level/District Level Society and (iii) Primary Weavers Cooperative Society.

1. Apex Level Society :- There is only one Apex Level Handloom Cooperative Society under the Directorate in the state. It is the Assam Apex Weavers and Artisans Cooperative Federation Ltd.( ARTFED).A Board of Directors runs the management and business of the ARTFED as per provision of the Bye-Laws. The basic business of ARTFED is to supply yarns to the member primary Cooperative Societies, to procure finished products of handwoven fabrics from them and to sale out the products through their established show rooms inside and outside the state. Apart from this, the ARTFED is also eligible to implement different schemes of Govt. of India and State Govt. for development and marketing promotion of the handwoven products of the weavers of the state.
2. Regional Level/District Level Handloom Cooperative Society: - There are two Regional Level Societies and five District Level Societies are functioning in the state. The procedure of business of these societies are similar to that the ARTFED but confined only to the respective region and District.
3.  Primary Weavers Cooperative Society (PWCS):-There are about 4012 nos. of Primary Weavers Cooperative Societies (PWCS) registered under the Directorate of Handloom and Textiles in the state. Out of these 34 nos. of registered PWCS in Biswanath District. Each society has a minimum of 100 weaver members. These societies are involved directly in production of handloom fabrics. The society is run by a Managing Committee consisting of 15 members as per provision of the amended Bye-Law of Assam Cooperative Act, 2007.The Managing Committee is headed by an elected President. A Secretary is appointed by the Committee to execute the pwcs .In the financial year 2018-2019,12 nos. of PWCS have been provided Rs.25,000/-each as working capital for running their business smoothly.

To form and registration of a Primary Weavers Cooperative society, Interested persons may contact with the O/O the Superintendent, Handloom and Textiles, Biswanath Chariali.

4. SETTING UP OF YARN BANK:

     The Govt. has decided to set up Yarn Banks in every district Headquarters and other important handloom clusters in the state to supply good quality hank yarns to the genuine weavers at revised subsidized rate of 30 %  so that they can offer their products at competitive price. In case of cotton, acrylic, synthetic etc.( Grey, bleached, dyed) a weaver will be entitled to a maximum quantity of 4.54 kgs of hank yarn per handloom per month. In case of silk yarn( Eri, Muga, Pat yarn ) the maximum quantity will be 1.50 kgs per loom per month. In case of functioning Primary weavers Cooperative Society, Handloom Production Centre, Weavers Extension Service Unit maximum 30.00 Kgs of yarn per month.

      In Biswanath District, the ARTFED(JAGARAN) has been implementing the scheme at Biswanath Chariali and at Pub-Chaiduar Dev. Block under Gohpur Sub-Division. The ARTFED will issue “ YARN PASS BOOK’’ to an eligible weaver .A weaver can apply for Yarn Pass Book in a prescribed format affixing 2 photographs along with a Xerox copy of Voter ID .The prescribed format is given below :

APPLICATION FOR YARN PASS BOOK

1.NAME OF WEAVER          :-

2.Full Address                    :-

(i)Name of father/Husband    :-

(ii)Village/Town                  :-

(iii)Post office                    :-

(iv)District                         :-

(v)Pin code                        :-

3.Age                               :-

4.Occupation                     :-

5.Nos.of Loom                    :-

6.Contact No.                     :-

7.Whether the weaver is a member of SHG/NGO/PWCS  ?  

Signature of Applicant

Date :-  

5. ECONOMIC UPLIFTMENT OF WEAVERS THROUGH WEAVING:

The state Govt. has been taken up a oriented scheme since 2008-2009 for the economic upliftment of poor weavers who takes weaving as their livelihood. Under this scheme a group of weavers ( consisting of 10-20 nos weaver members) considered for this scheme. It is a comprehensive Handloom development scheme which contains the components of New looms with accessories, Jacquard machine, skill-upgradation training, provisions of workshed, supply of Raw-materials(yarn) etc. 

In Biswanath District  7 nos of weavers group have been selected for this scheme in 2018-2019. Skill up-gradation training of these groups have already been conducted. Stipend and working capital ( yarn ) has already provided to each weaver member.

6. HANDLOOM CLUSTER  DEV.PROGRAMME  UNDER   SOPD-G:

      It is a cluster area development scheme covering 400-500 looms in a compact area of one or more villages. The scheme is implemented on a project mode through base line survey of the project area and ascertaining actual need of the weavers for sustainable growth of the weaving industry. The Handloom Cluster Development Programme (HCDP) is an attempt to facilitate the sustainable development of handloom weavers located in and outside identified handloom clusters into a cohesive, self-managing and competitive socio-economic unit.

      In the cluster some of the components of the scheme are:- supply of new looms, supply of accessories, supply of jacquard machines,  margin  money, workshed, Skill up-gradation training on weaving , designing , dyeing etc. During training period Rs.150/- per day per trainee will be provided .The maximum project cost of the cluster is Rs.2.00 crore. Duration of implementing period of the scheme  is three years. Every year  40(forty) numbers of weavers have taken to some developed handloom industry inside or out side the state for exposure visit to promote their experience.

     In the financial year 2018-2019, the Govt. has identified 6 nos cluster area all over Assam. In Biswanath district, Kolapani area under Baghmara Dev. Block is selected for this scheme. Already Govt. has released Rs.66.67 lakhs for this project.500 nos weavers are selected from this area by the District Level Selection Committee. 25 nos weavers groups( consisting of 20 nos weavers) are formed. 40 nos of weavers are taken to Suwalkuchi for exposure visit. Training of Skill up-gradation training will conduct from December/2019.

7. WORLD BANK FINANCED ASSAM AGRI-BUSINESS AND    RURAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECT (APART):

     The Govt. has launched World Bank financed “Assam Agri- Business and Rural Transformation Project ( APART)’’ of Handloom sector in undivided 5 nos districts in Assam. The undivided districts are-Kamrup, Sonitpur, Jorhat, Sivasagar and Lakhimpur. The implementation period of this project is 7 years. The project will monitored and coordinated by  ARIAS Society( Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural services society) and will be implemented by the departments of Industries & Commerce, Agriculture, Fisheries, A.H. & Veterinary, Cooperation, Public Works Roads, Handloom, Textiles & Sericulture , Panchayat & Rural Development and the Assam Agriculture University. Under this project 7000 nos beneficiaries will be covered from 5 targeted districts in handloom sector. The main objective of the scheme is to provide skill upgradation training and adequate facility to the Muga and Eri weavers of the state for international marketing promotion of Muga and Eri products. The major activities of this project are as follows-

• Publicity and Awareness.
• Skill up-gradation training for weavers.
• Training to departmental staff.
• State level workshops for cross learning.
• Exposure visits.
• Inputs of new design,value addition.
• Brand-building and market outreach activities.
• Handwoven in Assam campaign.
• Marketing linkages.

     In Biswanath district four Development Blocks are identified for implementation of the project and 750 nos of  weaver are already selected from these Dev. Blocks by the District Level Coordination Committee( DLCC).These Dev. Blocks are..

1. Biswanath Dev. Block                                          185 nos
2. Sakomatha Dev. Block                                         190 nos.
3. Behali Dev. Block                                                 190 nos.
4. Pub-Chaiduar Dev. Block                                     185 nos.

        Already 5 nos of Awareness programmes are held at different venues in Biswanath district.