Financial package for weavers

The Centre has announced a financial package aimed at debt-ridden weavers on Saturday. The package, to be implemented from January, includes a Rs 3,884-crore debt waiver and Rs 2,350 crore for a six-fold strategy to uplift weavers during the 12th Plan. The announcement was made by the Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Anand Sharma, who holds additional charge of Textiles, comes just days after the Congress General Secretary, Mr Rahul Gandhi, had sought concessions for the debt-ridden weavers. Under the package, an individual weaver will get benefit up to Rs 50,000. The scheme is expected to help 15,000 weavers' cooperative societies, besides individual weavers.