TWO LAKH ARTISANS TO BE PROVIDED ARTISAN
CREDIT CARD THIS YEAR
TEXTILES
MINISTRY FORMULATES 70 CRORE RUPEE SPECIAL PACKAGE FOR JAMMU AND
KASHMIR
About two lakh artisans
are to be provided Artisans Credit Card (ACC) this year. The scheme
announced by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech
will ensure timely and adequate availability of working capital.
Under this scheme individual artisans will get a loan of Rs.25,000
and a group of artisans under the Self Help Group will be provided
Rs.2,00,000 at nine percent interest. This was disclosed by the
Textiles Minister Shri Syed Shahnawaz Hussain while addressing
the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his Ministry
here today.
He said, the Textiles
Ministry has prepared a special package for the development of
textiles sector in Jammu and Kashmir at an estimated cost of Rs.70
crore. The special package was formulated after the Prime Minster’s
visit to Jammu and Kashmir in May this year when he announced
a comprehensive package covering various aspects with a thrust
on generation of new employment. The special package for J&K
aims at integrated development of export promotion of carpet,
handicrafts and strengthening their infrastructure support. A
Carpet Training Institute will be set up in the state to train
carpet weavers. Government will also develop and promote the brand
image of Kashmir carpets.
The Minister said
that it has been decided to cover two lakh artisans under the
Bima Yojana for handicraft artisans during the 10th
Plan period. He said, insurance cover will be provided by the
Life Insurance Corporation under the ‘Janshree Bima Yojana’ and
add-on Group Insurance coverage for death. Under the scheme one
crore rupees has been provided during the current year and is
targeted to cover 67,000 artisans. As a measure of skill upgradation,
a new project package called ‘Special Handicrafts Training Programme’
has been put together with a view to train 10,000 artisans/weavers
engaged in Handicrafts and carpet sector. The main objective of
the programme is to upgrade the skill of existing as well as new
crafts persons/carpet weavers, enhance employment opportunities,
transfer skill of Master Crafts Persons to new trainees and to
increase production base of crafts having high market demand.
The Minister said, it has been decided to implement the scheme
in a project mode where design and marketing intervention would
also be extended to ensure better marketability of the products.
Shri Shahnawaz Hussain
said, facilitation of export of Indian handicrafts will be a thrust
area. In order to give fillip to export promotion of cottage sector
including handicrafts, carpet, jute etc., India Exposition Mart
is being set up at Greater NOIDA. The mart will serve as a permanent
contact point for showcasing the products. It will have 900 marts,
exhibition halls, conference facilities, banks and various other
services under one roof.
The Minister said,
efforts are being made to organise the handicraft sector in such
a way that it is ready to face the challenges of the open market
in post WTO era and utilise the opportunities available to make
our products more competitive in global market. He said, the endeavour
is also to simultaneously generate more employment opportunities
while preserving the rich cultural and craft heritage of India.
During the meeting
there were suggestions that efforts should be made to ensure proper
utilisation of funds given to artisans under the Credit Card Scheme.
It was also suggested to explore the possibility of opening a
cell in India’s diplomatic missions abroad to showcase handicrafts
in order to popularise them. It was also suggested that a mechanism
to gather market intelligence on carpet may be thought of to maintain
competitiveness and to develop products for the changing global
consumer taste.
