Chennai, Apr 12 (KNN) The Tamil Nadu government has decided to set up a handloom silk park in Arani, Handlooms and Textiles Minister R Gandhi informed the state assembly on Tuesday.

While replying to the debate on demands for grants in the Assembly, Gandhi said that a Dr Kalaignar Karunanidhi Centenary Memorial Handloom Silk Park will be established at Periyanna Nallur near Arani and it would benefit around 10,000 handloom weavers in the area and also attract youth towards the handloom sector.

“A textile city will also be established on NH-45 under PPP mode and it is expected to generate 20,000 job opportunities,” he said

The state government has also agreed to raise the basic wages of weavers of cooperative societies by 10 per cent and increase the funeral assistance for members of the Handloom weaver’s cooperative society from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000.

Gandhi informed that to encourage the youth in the handloom sector, a weaver’s induction and entrepreneurship programme will be implemented at a cost of Rs 1.4 crore.

“To ensure the upkeep of the health of handloom weavers, a special medical camp will be organised in areas where the handloom weavers are living in large number,” he said.

The Tamil Nadu government will also allocate Rs 50 lakh to the textile promotion cell for conducting buyer-seller meetings in Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi.  (KNN Bureau)