Agartala, February 06, 2026: In an effort to strengthen women’s empowerment and generate sustainable livelihood opportunities, the Directorate of Tribal Welfare on Friday held a high-level review meeting on handloom and sericulture at the Secretary’s Office premises in Gorkhabasti.

The meeting was chaired by Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma and attended by senior departmental officials. Discussions centred on streamlining traditional handloom and sericulture activities to ensure steady income generation for women, particularly from rural and tribal-dominated areas.

According to sources, the review focused on capacity-building through skill training, improving production infrastructure, providing financial assistance, and widening market access for products. Officials also explored ways to blend age-old crafts with modern management and marketing practices to ensure long-term sustainability of these sectors.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, Minister Debbarma said, “A comprehensive programme has been adopted to make women self-reliant through handloom and sericulture. Today’s meeting reviewed the implementation process and future roadmap. Once fully executed, the initiative will empower women economically and revitalise our traditional industries.”

The Minister also conducted a separate review with District Tribal Welfare Officers (DTWOs) and Sub-Divisional Tribal Welfare Officers (SDTWOs) to assess the progress of ongoing schemes, fund utilisation, and ground-level implementation.

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