Sintha promoting skilled women for economic development
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 18 2013 :
Sintha Handloom and Handicraft Cooperative Society Limited, Thong Part-II, Imphal East has been working relentlessly to promote skilled women and foster economic development in the State through handloom and handicraft.
Established in 2006 with financial assistance from some private banks, the Sintha Handloom and Handicraft has been providing training to hundreds of women across the State in weaving traditional apparels, besides employing new technology in the production of age-old traditional patterns and designs.
Secretary of Sintha Handloom and Handicraft, Sougrakpam Saroja told Hueiyen Lanpao that the Society is focussed mainly on the production of traditional apparels such khudei, phanek, enaphi as well as items made of cane and bamboo.
Hundreds of women employed under the Society are engaged in the production of handloom and handicraft items thereby enabling themselves to generate regular income for their families.
In addition to production, women from both valley and hill areas are being trained under the Society with the use of modern technology to produce traditional handloom and handicraft products, she noted.
Saroja stated that hundreds of women from Andro, Sekmai, Tentha Wangjing, Singda, Khurkhul, Mayang Imphal, Heirok, Kakching, Senapati and others have benefitted from the training and some of them are currently employed under the Society.
The products made by these women are sold in the local markets, but there is great demand of State's handloom and handicraft products in other states of the country and abroad.
The Society is focussing on economic development of the State by promoting the skilled women, she added.
Saroja further stated the Society is also working towards preserving and promoting the age-old designs in handloom and handicraft products of the State.
She also mentioned that the weavers of the Society have received a 60-day training programme under Integrated Handloom Development Scheme taken up by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, and they have also been provided with weavers' health insurance scheme under ICICI Bank Limited.