HANDLOOM INDUSTRY - 19 meet the gaps in consumer goods supply and for extending employment opportunities, Indian planners thought of encouraging the traditional cottage sector which could economize the investment on consumer goods and support maximum labour utilization.1 The Village and Small Scale Industries Committee was appointed by the Planning Commission in June 1955 to formulate the development programmes for the sector and to evaluate the problem connected with their implementation.2 The handloom indusry thus received considerable attention in the national and state development programmes. This is shown by the trend of plan period expenditures on village and small industries (Table I). Handloom weaving has a long tradition of excellence and craftsmanship. The industry has adapted itself to modern times, characterized by a keen competition from more effictively organized and productive mill sector and changes in sartorial fashion and taste. It has been well established that the handloom cloth has a promising role to play in the textiles market, and given ade- FRFNP OF ESTI^ TABLE[ATED PLAN , IEXPENDITUF IES (Rs c irores) / Plan II Plan III Ph an IV Plan V Plan l HancUoom industry 11.1 29.7 25.37 29.21 80.63 (35.58) (16.5) (10.54) (11.64) f20.79) 2 Powerlooms — 2.0 1,52 3.26 1.53 (1.11) (0.63) fl.30;) (1.39) 3 Khadi and village industries 12.5 82.4 39,33 102.66 126.38 f40.06) (45.78) (37.10) (40.90; (32.59) 4 Smaliscale industries 5.2 44.4 86.12 70.33 121.89* (16.67) (24.67; (35.77) (28.02; (39.43) 5 Industrial estates — 11.6 22 15 15.73 17.64 (6.44) (9.20) (6.27) f4.55) 6 Handicrafts 1.0 4.8 5.30 6.24 14.94 „ (3.20) (2.67; (2.20) f2.48) (3.85; 7 Silk and sericulture 1.3 3.1 4.39 8.39 19.23 (4.17; (1.72) (1.82) (3.34) (496; 8 Coir industry 0.1 2.0 1.79 4.49 5.55 (0.32) (1.11) (0.74) 0.79; (1.43; 9 Rural industries project — 4.79 10.13 (1.99; (4.03) — 10 Collection of statistics — — -. 0.57 (0.23) — Total 31.2 180.0 240.76 251.01 387.79 SOURCE: Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Five Year Plans, Government. of India, Planning Commission. NOTE; Figures in brackets denote percentage share of the respective total. ^ * Includes centrally sponsored schemes of the rural industries project ard col- lection of statistics.