📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ministry of Textiles
Jobs & Career
Manipur Handlooms Directorate’s Transition Sparks Dispute, Artisans Cite Hurdles
✍️ northeasttoday.in
🗓 20 Sep 2026, 06:46 AM
👁 13
The Handlooms Directorate in Manipur is caught in a transition row after the state’s artisan federation reported procedural obstacles that could impede the sector’s shift.
Manipur’s Handlooms Directorate is currently embroiled in a dispute over the handloom sector’s administrative transition. The controversy arose after the state’s artisan federation raised concerns about procedural irregularities that it says are hampering the smooth handover of responsibilities.
The artisans’ body, representing a large number of handloom weavers across the state, alleged that the new procedures lack clarity, delay approvals and threaten the livelihoods of those dependent on the sector. It warned that without prompt resolution, production and market linkages could suffer.
Officials from the Handlooms Directorate have not issued a detailed statement, citing the need for internal review. The state government, however, has indicated that it is monitoring the situation and will intervene if the reported hurdles affect the sector’s stability.
Stakeholders fear that prolonged uncertainty may impact employment in the handloom industry, which remains a key source of income for many rural households in Manipur.
The artisans’ body, representing a large number of handloom weavers across the state, alleged that the new procedures lack clarity, delay approvals and threaten the livelihoods of those dependent on the sector. It warned that without prompt resolution, production and market linkages could suffer.
Officials from the Handlooms Directorate have not issued a detailed statement, citing the need for internal review. The state government, however, has indicated that it is monitoring the situation and will intervene if the reported hurdles affect the sector’s stability.
Stakeholders fear that prolonged uncertainty may impact employment in the handloom industry, which remains a key source of income for many rural households in Manipur.