Textiles

• Schemes for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) and the Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF) to be continued in the Eleventh Plan period; Provision for SITP being maintained at Rs.450 crore in 2008-09; Provision for TUF to be increased to Rs.1,090 crore in 2008-09 from Rs.911 crore in 2007-08.
  
  
• Handloom sector: 250 clusters being developed and 443 yarn banks established under the cluster approach to the development of the handloom sector; Over 17 lakh families of weavers to be covered under the health insurance scheme by March 2008; Allocation being increased to Rs.340 crore in 2008-09; Infrastructure and production being scaled up by taking up six centres for development as megaclusters; Varanasi and Sibsagar to be taken up for handlooms, Bhiwandi and Erode for powerlooms, and Narsapur and Moradabad for handicrafts; Each mega-cluster to require about Rs.70 crore; Initial provision of Rs.100 crore made in 2008-09.