|
Handloom Weaving is a way of life and intensely linked with Assamese Culture and Heritage. Handloom Industry of Assam is known for its rich tradition of making handloom and handicraft products. It also plays a very important role in the socio-economic development of the State. Assam is a proud owner of more than 13.00 lakh looms out of the total 28.00 lakh looms in the country. In spite of being intensely connected with the culture of the State, the Handloom Industry has not flourished in commercial sphere to the required extent. At present about 2.80 lakh looms are being utilised for commercial weaving in the true sense. About 5.70 lakh looms run semi-commercially and earning subsidiary income. Rest are domestic looms and are run to meet the domestic requirements.
The cooperative coverage is about 33 percent of the State’s weaver population which is far below the National coverage. In the Eleventh Five Year Plan period the cooperative coverage has been targeted to increase to 45 percent.
The Department of Handloom & Textiles, at present, directly runs 102 Handloom Training Centres, 4 Handloom Training Institute and 1 power loom Centre under Training Programme, 98 Weavers’ Extension Service Units and 20 Handloom Production Centres, one Handloom Research and Designing Centre and one Production Procurement Centre under production programme. The Assam Govt. Marketing Corporation is the State Level organisation to look after the weavers of the State. The three pronged Cooperative (organised) Sector consists of more than 3634 Primary level, 22 District Level and 2 Apex Cooperative Societies covered about 33 percent weaver population of the State.
At present, 13909 villages of the State with 1403484 weavers are covered by the Directorate of Handloom and Textiles for its Handloom activities. The production of Handloom fabrics was 174.00 million meters during the year 2009-10 as against 170.00 million meters during the year 2008-09. During the year 2007-08 the production of handloom fabrics was as 132.6 million metre.
To strengthen the handloom sector various development schemes have been undertaken by the State Government among which providing weavers with quality fabrics, modernisation of looms, creation of commercial motivation amongst the weavers, extension of training facilities, development of textiles designs etc. During the year 2009-10, the Handloom & Textiles Department trained 1650 artisans in its Handloom Training Centres. Apart from this, the Handloom & Textile Department have been implementing Chief Minister’s Assam Bikash Yojana since 2007-08 and completed implementation for the years 2007-08 and 2008-09 with distribution of 32s Cotton Hank Yarn to the poor Handloom weavers and Poly Blankets to elderly women and poor people living below the poverty line. For the empowerment and for creation of self employment potentialities among the women weavers, the Department has taken initiative to give benefit to 1.20 lakh women weavers of the State under the programme Incentive to Handloom weavers. For publicity of the de’ programme as well as to create awareness about the handloom products of the State, the Department has organised 49 District level Fairs, 22 Special Handloom Expos and 5 National Handloom Expo in the State during the year 2009-10.
Apart from the above, a new programme, with an objective to provide assistance to the artisans of handicraft, has been under taken in Nalbari District under Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hasta Silpa Bikash Yojana with financial assistance from Govt. of India. This programme will cover around 1000 artisans directly and indirectly.
Khadi and Village Industries:
With a view to generate rural employment and uplift the rural economy, various khadi and village Industries are being promoted in the state by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission and Assam Khadi and Village Industries Board since their establishment.
Achievement of Khadi and Village Industries under Khadi and Village Industries Commission in Assam 2007-08- and 208-09:
|
Particulars
|
Production (Rs. in Lakh)
|
Sales (Rs. in Lakh)
|
Employment (Nos)
|
|
2007-08
|
2008-09
|
2007-08
|
2008-09
|
2007-08
|
2008-09
|
|
(A) Khadi and Poly-vastra
|
|
Cotton
|
63.52
|
43.70
|
81.12
|
86.84
|
2490
|
2490
|
|
Silk
|
554.48
|
805.59
|
370.94
|
649.34
|
11500
|
13000
|
|
Woolen
|
-
|
-
|
3.62
|
3.91
|
-
|
-
|
|
Poly-vastra
|
12.36
|
24.41
|
12.76
|
18.23
|
95
|
105
|
|
Total
|
630.36
|
873.70
|
468.44
|
758.32
|
14085
|
15595
|
|
(B) Village Industries
|
40008.88
|
41544.57
|
65878.13
|
69452.44
|
284000
|
298000
|
|
Grand Total
|
40639.24
|
42418.27
|
66346.57
|
70210.56
|
298085
|
313595
|
Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11
Statistics of Handloom & Textiles in Assam, 2007-08 to 2009-10:
|
District
|
Handloom Training Centre
|
No. of Trainees in Handloom Training Centre
|
Weavers Extension Service Unit
|
Handloom Production Centre
|
|
No.
|
Production
(in metre)
|
No.
|
Production
(in metre)
|
|
2007-
08
|
2008-
09
|
2009-
10
|
2007-
08
|
2008-
09
|
2009-
10
|
2007-
08
|
2008-
09
|
2009-
10
|
2007-
08
|
2008-
09
|
2009-
10
|
2007-
08
|
2008-
09
|
2009-
10
|
2007-
08
|
2008-
09
|
2009-
10
|
|
Dhubri
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
65
|
65
|
65
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
3466.2
|
3549.00
|
3549.00
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Kokrajhar
|
4
|
4
|
2
|
60
|
60
|
45
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
676.0
|
985.00
|
172.50
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
-
|
227.00
|
227
|
|
Bongaigaon
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
45
|
45
|
45
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
328.0
|
867.00
|
867.00
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Goalpara
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
65
|
65
|
55
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
4650.0
|
4580.00
|
390.23
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1315.0
|
1219.00
|
1277
|
|
Barpeta
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
115
|
115
|
115
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
3124.4
|
3228.00
|
3228.00
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
-
|
1455.00
|
1455
|
|
Nalbari
|
5
|
5
|
3
|
85
|
85
|
50
|
7
|
7
|
4
|
626.0
|
1526.00
|
1790.06
|
6
|
6
|
4
|
718.0
|
967.00
|
1794
|
|
Kamrup (M)
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
125
|
125
|
37
|
4
|
4
|
1
|
3263.0
|
5171.68
|
40.25
|
1
|
1
|
-
|
665.0
|
611.00
|
-
|
|
Kamrup (R)
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
59
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
2995.8
|
3813.50
|
4491.93
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
320
|
|
Darrang
|
6
|
6
|
5
|
100
|
100
|
65
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
4477.8
|
62416.70
|
5572.25
|
2
|
2
|
-
|
466.0
|
892.00
|
-
|
|
Sonitpur
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
95
|
95
|
95
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
1292.0
|
15840.25
|
1493.11
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Lakhimpur
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
65
|
65
|
65
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
5600.0
|
4841.00
|
4883.00
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Dhemaji
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
35
|
35
|
29
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
1248.0
|
1846.00
|
8115.00
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
-
|
50.00
|
498
|
|
Morigaon
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
65
|
65
|
65
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
726.3
|
876.00
|
2390.00
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Nagaon
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
125
|
125
|
125
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
12625.0
|
14085.27
|
14085.27
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
-
|
95.00
|
95
|
|
Golaghat
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
70
|
70
|
30
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
2810.0
|
2510.00
|
5734.00
|
1
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Jorhat
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
55
|
55
|
36
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
4191.8
|
4021.00
|
4021.00
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
65.8
|
259.00
|
259
|
|
Sibsagar
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
70
|
70
|
70
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
1362.0
|
1478.00
|
1974.00
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Dibrugarh
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
60
|
60
|
23
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
625.5
|
904.00
|
855.00
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Tinsukia
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
80
|
80
|
65
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
1276.0
|
1476.00
|
1469.00
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Karbi Anglong
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
150
|
150
|
150
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
16907.0
|
9025.85
|
9025.85
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2650.0
|
2769.00
|
2769
|
|
N.C. Hills
(Dima Hasao)
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
60
|
60
|
60
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
-
|
1385.00
|
1385.00
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Karimganj
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
30
|
30
|
21
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
285.0
|
3991.00
|
3991.00
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Hailakandi
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
15
|
15
|
15
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
320.0
|
865.00
|
865.00
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Cachar
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
15
|
15
|
15
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
7482.0
|
1307.78
|
1307.78
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Assam
|
102
|
102
|
94
|
1650
|
1650
|
1400
|
98
|
98
|
86
|
80357.5
|
150589.03
|
81695.23
|
20
|
20
|
15
|
5879.8
|
8544.00
|
8694
|
Source: Statistical Handbook Assam 2008
Statistical Handbook Assam 2009
Statistical Handbook Assam 2010
Statistics of Handloom Demonstration Circle & Weaving Activity in Assam, 2009-10:
|
District
|
No. of Circle
|
No. of Villages
|
No of Weavers engaged
|
|
Part Time
|
Whole Time
|
Total
|
|
Dhubri
|
7
|
172
|
19.568
|
204
|
19772
|
|
Kokrajhar
|
7
|
922
|
82677
|
20669
|
103346
|
|
Bongaigaon
|
5
|
903
|
38543
|
14929
|
53472
|
|
Goalpara
|
8
|
1612
|
41103
|
205
|
41308
|
|
Barpeta
|
12
|
819
|
56078
|
28035
|
84113
|
|
Nalbari
|
10
|
464
|
84358
|
4291
|
88649
|
|
Kamrup (M)
|
4
|
193
|
74879
|
121
|
75000
|
|
Kamrup
|
11
|
695
|
135286
|
16056
|
151342
|
|
Darrang
|
4
|
207
|
52825
|
12603
|
65428
|
|
Sonitpur
|
14
|
1004
|
23357
|
887
|
24244
|
|
Lakhimpur
|
8
|
1020
|
87819
|
5258
|
93077
|
|
Dhemaji
|
2
|
20
|
1785
|
-
|
1785
|
|
Morigaon
|
7
|
590
|
69682
|
1328
|
71010
|
|
Nagaon
|
17
|
285
|
67032
|
6011
|
73043
|
|
Golaghat
|
9
|
623
|
55572
|
1543
|
57115
|
|
Jorhat
|
7
|
211
|
78493
|
2590
|
81083
|
|
Sibsagar
|
15
|
756
|
67462
|
3003
|
70465
|
|
Dibrugarh
|
16
|
391
|
42952
|
8433
|
51385
|
|
Tinsukia
|
6
|
1629
|
41753
|
2533
|
44286
|
|
Karbi Anglong
|
5
|
135
|
47364
|
2769
|
50133
|
|
Dima Hasao
|
11
|
198
|
13945
|
357
|
14302
|
|
Karimganj
|
9
|
309
|
37880
|
286
|
38166
|
|
Hailakandi
|
5
|
237
|
25183
|
795
|
25978
|
|
Cachar
|
10
|
514
|
10846
|
14136
|
24982
|
|
Total
|
209
|
13909
|
1256442
|
147042
|
1403484
|
Source: Statistical Handbook Assam 2010
Statistics of Handloom Demonstration Circle & Weaving Activity in Assam, 2006-07 to 2008-09:
|
District
|
No. of Circle
|
No. of Villages
|
No of Weavers engaged
|
|
2006-2007
|
2007-2008
|
2008-2009
|
|
2006-07
|
2007-08
|
2008-09
|
2006-07
|
2007-08
|
2008-09
|
Part Time
|
Whole Time
|
Part Time
|
Whole Time
|
Part Time
|
Whole Time
|
|
Dhubri
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
172
|
172
|
172
|
19475
|
147
|
19508
|
179
|
19568
|
204
|
|
Kokrajhar
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
423
|
423
|
423
|
5983
|
6266
|
6013
|
6296
|
6048
|
6321
|
|
Bongaigaon
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
903
|
903
|
903
|
38485
|
14887
|
38508
|
14909
|
38543
|
14929
|
|
Goalpara
|
9
|
9
|
9
|
345
|
345
|
345
|
33274
|
1543
|
33307
|
1575
|
33342
|
1600
|
|
Barpeta
|
12
|
12
|
12
|
819
|
819
|
819
|
55945
|
27968
|
55998
|
28020
|
56078
|
28035
|
|
Nalbari
|
13
|
13
|
13
|
340
|
340
|
340
|
106705
|
5310
|
106748
|
5352
|
106803
|
5380
|
|
Kamrup
|
14
|
14
|
14
|
710
|
710
|
710
|
160241
|
1899
|
160280
|
5361
|
160330
|
5436
|
|
Darrang
|
13
|
13
|
13
|
280
|
280
|
280
|
84427
|
5534
|
84477
|
5584
|
84527
|
5634
|
|
Sonitpur
|
13
|
13
|
13
|
333
|
333
|
333
|
48111
|
759
|
48159
|
806
|
48194
|
831
|
|
Lakhimpur
|
9
|
9
|
9
|
1170
|
1170
|
1170
|
59653
|
4537
|
59686
|
4569
|
59706
|
4594
|
|
Dhemaji
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
825
|
825
|
825
|
27734
|
2813
|
27752
|
2830
|
27780
|
2880
|
|
Morigaon
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
128
|
128
|
128
|
55159
|
437
|
55192
|
469
|
55262
|
524
|
|
Nagaon
|
17
|
17
|
17
|
258
|
258
|
285
|
66929
|
5899
|
66992
|
5961
|
67032
|
6011
|
|
Golaghat
|
9
|
9
|
9
|
623
|
623
|
623
|
55497
|
1478
|
55532
|
1513
|
55572
|
1543
|
|
Jorhat
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
183
|
183
|
183
|
78375
|
2538
|
78463
|
2565
|
78493
|
2590
|
|
Sibsagar
|
15
|
15
|
15
|
618
|
618
|
618
|
58254
|
30022
|
58289
|
30057
|
58329
|
30087
|
|
Dibrugarh
|
16
|
16
|
16
|
391
|
391
|
391
|
42882
|
8383
|
42912
|
8413
|
42952
|
8433
|
|
Tinsukia
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
1629
|
1629
|
1629
|
41663
|
2463
|
41703
|
2503
|
41753
|
2533
|
|
Karbi Anglong
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
135
|
135
|
135
|
47189
|
2644
|
47264
|
2719
|
47364
|
2796
|
|
North Cachar Hills
|
11
|
11
|
11
|
198
|
198
|
198
|
13875
|
307
|
13905
|
337
|
13945
|
357
|
|
Karimganj
|
9
|
9
|
9
|
309
|
309
|
309
|
37851
|
255
|
37866
|
270
|
37880
|
286
|
|
Hailakandi
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
237
|
237
|
327
|
25168
|
779
|
25175
|
787
|
25183
|
795
|
|
Cachar
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
514
|
514
|
514
|
10816
|
14119
|
10824
|
14126
|
10846
|
14136
|
|
Total
|
225
|
225
|
225
|
11570
|
11570
|
11570
|
1173691
|
140987
|
1174553
|
145201
|
1175530
|
145908
|
Source: Statistical Handbook Assam 2008
Statistical Handbook Assam 2009
Achievements in Handloom and Textiles in Assam Under Centrally Sponsored and Central Sector Schemes.
|
Sl. No.
|
Name of Schemes
|
2005-2006
|
2006-2007
|
2007-2008
|
2008-2009
|
2009-10
|
|
A.
|
Weavers benefited (in Nos.)
|
|
(i)
|
Project package Schemes
|
1562
|
2552
|
1244
|
529
|
Nil
|
|
(ii)
|
Market Development Assistance
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
|
(iii)
|
Deen Dayal Hathkargha Prosahan Yojana
|
2661
|
5247
|
12600
|
11900
|
235887
|
|
(iv)
|
Health package Scheme
|
17396
|
7760
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
|
(v)
|
Integrated Handloom training Project
|
560
|
560
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
|
(vi)
|
Health Insurance
|
-
|
-
|
464635
|
445947
|
352134
|
|
(vii)
|
Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana (Life and Injuary)
|
-
|
-
|
35133
|
64664
|
76000
|
|
(viii)
|
Integrated Handloom Training Project. (Including ARTFED)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4200
|
560
|
|
B.
|
District Level Fairs (in Nos.)
|
5
|
14
|
12
|
15
|
49
|
|
C.
|
Special Handloom Expo
|
1
|
-
|
3
|
6
|
22
|
|
|
National Handloom Expo Organised
|
1
|
1
|
|
1
|
5
|
|
D.
|
Production of Handloom Fabric (20 point) (in M.M)
|
134.45
|
142.1
|
152.5
|
170.00
|
174.00
|
Source: Statistical Handbook Assam 2010
Statistical Handbook Assam 2009
|
