ANANTNAG, MARCH 09: The Handicrafts Department today organized an awareness-cum-registration camp for artisans at Achabal to make them aware of various welfare programmes and schemes of the department.
The camp was inaugurated by Additional District Development Commissioner, Anantnag, Nazir Ahmad Khwaja.
The ADDC asked the concerned officers to make sure that the benefits of newly designed schemes for artisans percolate down to the target public. He said that handicraft sector has witnessed a glorious past and it is high time to ‘revive its pristine glory’ with the help of modern technology. He also directed for projecting the demand for construction of way site at Pahalgam with the higher authorities to attract the tourists and Shri Amarnath Ji Yatries for purchases of their products. He also emphasised upon the Handicrafts Department to take up the matter of enhancement of monthly honorarium of the trainees as most of the trainees put forth demand for the same. The ADDC directed for making qualitative handicrafts products to ensure better market values for their products and also taking steps for eradicating the need of middlemen. He also asked the entrepreneurs to avail the benefit of handloom exhibitions so that they can sell their products on satisfactory rates.
The AD Handicrafts, Javid Naseem Masoodi on the occasion highlighted the achievements and also informed the participants about the various schemes of the department. He said that presently 29 Handicraft centres are functional in the district and 20000 beneficiaries are registered with the department. The department provides training to the candidates in 02 year advance course in 12 Handicrafts centres and 01 year elementary training in 17 centres. The candidates are provided Rs 700 and Rs 500 monthly honorarium respectively. The monthly honorarium trainees has been paid upto the end of February, 2019.
The Department of Handicrafts, Anantnag has sponsored 172 cases which were sanctioned under Centrally Sponsored Scheme PMEGP and interest subsidy of Rs 2.58 crore has been released in favour of the beneficiaries. Similarly, under JKREGP 72 cases were also sanctioned which involves a subsidy component of Rs 1.20 crore.
The awareness camp was also addressed by various experts of the department and line departments including Industries and Lead Bank, Anantnag, various entrepreneurs had established their stalls to display their products for sale.
The ADDC also distributed artisan registration cards among the beneficiaries and directed upon concerned officers to conduct maximum awareness camps in the district, particularly in rural areas, with a target to motivate youth towards handicrafts sector which has great scope of employment.
Among others the camp was attended by EO MC Achabal, Deputy Chairman Municipal Committee, Achabal, Media persons and other prominent citizens.
