Govt assures marketing facilities for artisans: Handicrafts exhibition opens
New Delhi: Minister of Textiles Maran inaugurated the Master Creation Programme as part of a handicrafts week at a colourful function organized at Dilli Haat here today. Maran also distributed insurance claims to beneficiaries
of the Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthya Bima Yojana. Speaking on the occasion,
Maran appreciated the Master Creation of around 200 Shilp Gurus, National Awardees
and National Merit Certificate Holders spanning handicraft and handloom sectors.
The Minister said that Textiles Ministry is implementing six schemes for the
holistic growth and development of the handicraft sector. The Government had adopted
cluster based developmental approach where infrastructural support, design inputs
and market linkages are provided to the artisans to enable them to produce contemporary
and marketable products. Four handicraft mega clusters are being developed at
Moradabad (U.P.), Narsapur(A.P), Srinagar(J&K) and Badhoi(U.P), the work at
Moradabad and Narsapur had commenced and work at others will commence shortly,
said the
Minister. Maran suggested exploring the possibility to organize an exclusive
exhibition of cluster products developed around 400 cluster projects being implemented
across the country under the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hasthashilip Vikas Yojana.
Handicrafts Week is held every year from 8 to 15, December. The activities this year
have been planned by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) ,
Ministry of Textiles, in such a manner that there is a comprehensive geographical
coverage as well as complete coverage in terms of stakeholders. The activities during the
handicraft week commenced from New Delhi . The second stage of activities will
cover Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Lucknow and Guwahati and craft awareness
programmes will be organized at school level to sensitize and disseminate information
about our traditional heritage to impressionable minds. In addition, artisans will be
disseminated innovative designs by the Regional Design & Technical Development
Centers through design Development Workshops. As a part of handicraft week, a
workshop will be organized in each of the identified 60 district to disseminate
the information about different schemes being implemented for the welfare of the
artisans. During the workshop, a health camp will be organized in collaboration
where artisans will be medically examined free of cost and reimbursement claim
cheques will be distributed to the beneficiaries artisans. The Handicrafts week
at Dilli Haat, which began yesterday, will culminate on December 15, 2009. The
products of around 200 master craft persons both from Handicrafts and Handloom
sectors are exhibited. The product range has the essence of entire country and
entire craft panorama of the country, which is being showcased at a single place.
