The Directorate of Tribal Welfare convened a high-level review meeting on handloom and sericulture on Friday at the Secretary’s Office premises in Gorkhabasti in an effort to promote women’s empowerment and create long-term livelihood possibilities.

The conference was presided over by Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma and attended by senior departmental officials. The discussions centered on streamlining traditional handloom and sericulture operations to enable consistent income generation for women, particularly those from rural and tribal-dominated areas.

According to reports, the study focused on increasing capacity through talent training, strengthening production facilities, giving financial support, and expanding product market access. Officials also looked for ways to combine traditional crafts with modern management and marketing practices to secure the long-term viability of these industries.

Minister Debbarma told reporters after the meeting, “A comprehensive programme has been adopted to make women self-reliant through handloom and sericulture.” Today’s meeting focused on the implementation process and future roadmap. Once fully implemented, the project will economically empower women while also revitalizing our historic industries.

The Minister also held a separate review with District Tribal Welfare Officers (DTWOs) and Sub-Divisional Tribal Welfare Officers (SDTWOs) to assess the status of ongoing schemes, fund use, and grassroots implementation.

Debbarma reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the overall development of tribal communities, emphasizing the importance of strong administrative coordination, transparency, and regular monitoring to ensure that welfare schemes reach beneficiaries effectively and on time.