November 27, 2016 saw the inauguration of a new apparel and garment making centre at Imphal, Manipur by Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Textiles, Government of India. The apparel centre was inaugurated in the presence of Okram Ibobi Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur.
The new centre has been constructed under the North-East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS), which was launched by the Union Textile Ministry. The project was completed by the Manipur Handlooms and Handicrafts Development Corporation (MHHDC) and is fully funded by the Ministry with an estimated cost of Rs 18.18 crore for one apparel centre in each State.
The central assistance is towards construction of physical infrastructure, machinery for the units and towards capacity building of workers for a period of three years. The National Buildings Construction Corporation Ltd (NBCC), which has been appointed for the construction of the infrastructure and installation of machinery at the centres, has completed its task and the machinery has also been installed successfully at all three units.
The capacity building through this centre will include: skill development (three month training for 600 trainees per centre at Rs 10,000 month), market linkages (three domestic exhibitions and one international exhibition), EDP programme (one month training programme per unit), and management support including design services (four persons for three years).