Textile ministry, 16 state govts sign MoUs for training, employing 3.5 lakh workers

The MoU to take the Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SCBTS) (Samarth), which initially targets creation 3.5 lakh jobs in the textile sector, was taken at a function in New Delhi on Monday.

Eighteen states have agreed to partner with union textile ministry under the scheme, out of which Jammu and Kashmir and Odisha were not present during the day’s function. 

Initially, the ministry allocated over 3.5 lakh targets to the agencies nominated by state governments to implement this scheme. After imparting training, employment will be provided to all these beneficiaries in various textiles related activities. 

The programme covers the entire value chain of the textiles sector except spinning and weaving. The training programme involves advanced technology oriented features like Aadhaar Based Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS), CCTV recording, dedicated Call Centre, Mobile App based Management Information System and on-line monitoring.

Speaking on the occasion, union minister of textiles and women and child development, Smriti Zubin Irani, said the signing of MoUs with state governments shows the commitment of the ministry to extend support to the state agencies and make them equal partners for building the spirit of national development to boost the textiles sector.

Irani further said that the targets set out by some of the states like Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand are much below the requirement of skilled workers in textiles industry in those states and urged them to relook at the targets. She said the ministry will try to ensure that those who are not employed by the industry may get additional benefits provided by financial services under Mudra scheme. 

The resolve to skill over 4 lakh people is a big step and every effort must be made to achieve it, the minister said, adding that she would be visiting the training facilities in different states to take stock of the situation.

Irani also said that 75 per cent of the workers engaged in the textiles sector and 70 per cent of the beneficiaries of the Mudra loan are women. She advised North Eastern States to focus on silk and jute sector and review the targets of skilling under Samarth scheme.

Secretary textiles, Ravi Capoor, in his address said that India is a very small player in the global market and there is huge potential of employment generation in the textiles sector. He said there is a gap of 1.6 million trained, skilled workers in textiles industry. He further added that high standards have been set out in the Samarth scheme for the skilling of the workers so that they are readily employable by the industry. He said that the level of training has to be very good so that the objective of providing meaningful employment to the skilled workers is fulfilled.

Ministry of textiles, as part of the government’s broad focus on skill development, implemented the flagship scheme, Integrated Skill Development Scheme (2010 to 2017), of skilling in textiles sector, with a target to provide 15 lakh additional skilled workers to the textiles sector by 2017. Under the scheme 11.14 lakh persons were trained by March 2018 and 8.41 lakh persons were provided placement.

With a view to leverage institutional capability created by the ministry and the synergy / collaboration achieved with the industry and the state governments, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for a new skill development scheme, titled `Samarth’ - Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SCBTS), from 2017-18 to 2019-20. It is a placement oriented programme for meeting the skill requirements of textiles industry. The scheme aims at skill development of 1 million youth up to 2020 in the entire value chain of textiles, excluding spinning and weaving in the organized sector, with a projected outlay of Rs1,300 crore.