To cater to the housing needs of domestic weavers, and to help them with mechanization of their workplace, government of south Indian state of Tamil Nadu has introduced a scheme to construct 10,000 green houses for weavers and provide motorized spindles to them. The housing scheme would happen together with the proposed scheme of constructing 60,000 houses under the Chief Minister's green house scheme in the first phase during 2013-14, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said in a suo motu statement in the Assembly.
The government would also spend Rs. 37.5 million to provide motorized spindles to 25,000 handloom weavers, to reduce their workload and double production. Also, weavers in Cuddalore, Tiruchengodu, Tiruvannamalai, Thiruvallur, Vellore, Kancheepuram, Salem, Madurai and Tiruchengodu would be provided subsidies along with pedal looms attached with electric motors. The Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation would also launch a programme to train 100 ladies in Srirangam in Tanjore painting, with popular motifs of the region like Samayapuram, Akilandeswari, Sri Ranganathar and Mariamman. All the ladies would be provided raw materials required for the paintings, and also a stipend of Rs. 2,000 per month.
The CM also announced payment on time-scale from January 1, 2013, for temporary workers in handloom and powerloom weavers' cooperative societies, who have completed more than five years on consolidated pay. Besides, she also unveiled intentions to start 'Living Handicraft Treasure' award, just like the 'Living National Treasures of Japan', award from this year onwards. The award including a citation, a one-sovereign gold medal, certificate and cash prize of Rs. 100,000 would be given to 10 outstanding artisans from 16 fields, who are above 65 years of age and have dedicated their lives to handicraft making in the state.
