PRESIDENT CALLS FOR CONCERTED ACTION TO PROMOTE HANDICRAFTS AND
HANDLOOMS
PROPOSES EIGHT POINT ACTION PLAN FOR
THE SECTOR
CASH PRIZE FOR NATIONAL AWARD DOUBLED
TO RS.50,000
The President Dr.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has called for concerted action to promote
handicrafts and handlooms and convert them into thriving wealth
generator bringing prosperity to rural craftsmen and weavers.
The President was speaking after presenting national awards to
Master Craftspersons for 2000 and 2001. He said, craftspersons
and weavers are an important component for upliftment of our rural
economy. Over 12 million people are earning their livelihood from
this industry. The President said every household in Nagaland
and Arunachal Pradesh is a family craft centre. Most of the items
they produce are used by themselves and the remaining is sold
in local markets on barter basis.
The President proposed
an eight point programme for the organisations associated with
the sector in the State and Central Government to bring vibrancy
to the sector in association with NGOs, R&D Centres, Academia
and other industries. The eight points are :
Create design centres
at district level for computer aided design of products and also
monitor the performance of existing centres how they are working
and provide corrective action wherever necessary.
Identify the core
strength of the village cluster and infuse the technology to the
relevant weavers, craftsmen and artisans.
Create core strength
specific vocational training centres value added with state-of-the-art
technology at district/Taluk level.
Create a consortium
of Industry, R&D, academia and successful co-operative societies
which can provide consultancies on total business development
in the village cluster.
Create mobile quality
assurance service centres with the state-of-the-art equipment
at the district level to provide quality assurance services to
weavers to ensure quality delivery of garments.
Create entrepreneurial
training centres for promoting craftsmen, weavers, artisans into
successful entrepreneurs to manufacture locally and market globally.
Expose internet method
of marketing to the village industry and provide right kind of
buy back arrangements.
Work for creating
a business volume Rs. 80,000 crore per annum by the end of 10th
Plan period.
Speaking on the occasion
the Textile Minister Shri Syed Shahnawaz Hussain announced that
the cash prize for the national award winners has been doubled
to Rs.50,000/- fror Rs.25,000/-. He said, the government is adopting
a ‘cluster approach’ for providing a basket of inputs in the form
of Design, Technology, Marketing and Finance interventions. He
said, our emphasis will be on modern technology in association
with the National and International Institutes of excellence.
He said, the government is laying a lot of stress on training
and upgradation of skill of the artisans. He expressed the hope
that we will be able to expand the production base and revive
many languishing crafts by imparting skills.
49 artisans and weavers
received the National Awards from the President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul
Kalam. 29 of these Award Winners have been selected from the Handicrafts
and 20 from the Handlooms sector. Seven of the award winners are
joint awardees. Besides cash prize, the National Award carries
a Tamrapatra, Angavastram and a certificate.
