NIFT Rae Bareli has designed
handloom saree uniform which will be provided by the Uttar Pradesh Government (around 1 lakh sarees) to BC-Sakhis (Bank Sakhi-women banking correspondents).
The Government will provide two sarees to women working under the BC Sakhi scheme as a uniform, to promote the handloom industry. For this, the Government will buy sarees made by handloom weavers.
The designs sent by NIFT have already been approved by the Chief Minister and the work of weaving the sarees is in progress.
The cost of each saree amounts to Rs. 1,934.15 and a fund of Rs. 22,43,61,400 has been released to the department for 1.16 lakh sarees and dress materials.
To procure handloom sarees for BC-Sakhis will serve the twin purpose of empowering women and creating vast employment opportunities for handloom weavers in the state.
Weavers involved in the work will be given Rs. 750 per saree as wages through direct banking transactions.
The UP Handloom department has engaged five producer companies in this regard, of which, three are from Varanasi district and one each from Mau and Azamgarh.
There are around 58,000 BC-Sakhis women banking correspondents in the state who facilitate easy online banking transactions for people in villages.
